Driving has pulled together a huge number of leading examples, from basic video recording models to top-of-the-range dashcams with multiple cameras, smartphone connectivity, accident sensors and the ability to record your speed and location by GPS.

Our detailed findings are below, with the models now grouped by year of review as well as budget, so this is the best place to come for information on the top dashcams currently available.

Dash cam Q&A

Why fit a dash cam?

The Insurance Fraud Bureau estimates that 30,000 “crash for cash” incidents – for example, when a driver slams on their brakes to make a following car hit them – take place every year.

Dash cams can help insurers identify fraudulent claims and determine who is at fault, so some offer a discount for drivers who have one installed, as long as they agree to provide footage on request (check with your insurer to see if a deal is available with your chosen dashcam).

Bear in mind that police will get involved if someone has been injured in an accident; they have the power to seize footage, which may be used as evidence.

How do dash cams work?

Dash cams are smarter than your basic video camera. Yes, you could attached a forward-facing GoPro or Dogcam to your windscreen and record your whole journey in one long file, but what if you run out of space on your memory card before the end of the journey?

Dash cams get round the problem by splitting the video into small chunks, usually video files of 1-3 minutes. When the memory card is full, the oldest file will be deleted to make room for a new file, meaning it will always record.

However, important files can be locked and protected from deletion, either manually (by pressing a button on the device) or in most cases automatically if the device detects a sudden change in speed (because of an accident or emergency stop).

Do I need to wipe the memory card manually?

Yes. Although the oldest video clips are deleted automatically to make way for new footage as the dash cam records, you may find that the protected (emergency recording) files build up over time and eventually fill the card, perhaps causing an error message to appear. For this reason, it’s best to format the memory card once every couple of weeks or so. In most cases, you will be able to do this via the dash cam’s menu.

Where can I mount a dash cam?

Dash cams should intrude no more than 40mm into the swept area of your windscreen wiper blades and must not be mounted in the area directly above the steering wheel.

Can a dash cam screen be on when I’m driving?

No. If a dash cam has a built-in screen, make sure it is switched off or turns itself off after a few seconds, as the law says motorists must not be able to view video-playing devices while driving (there are some exceptions to this rule related to providing information about the status of the vehicle itself – a parking camera, for example – but a dash cam does not meet these criteria).

Can you hide away the dash cam’s power cable?

Yes, even if you’re plugging the power cable into a 12V (cigarette lighter) socket, you can normally tuck the cable behind the car’s headlining and down the inside of the trim on the A-pillar (the metal body structure either side of the windscreen), then under the carpet to the centre console.

If you decide to “hardwire” the dash cam, which means running a power cable directly into the car’s fuse box, you can do the same thing and keep things even neater, as you can hide the cable completely.

Why would you hardwire a dash cam?

If you’re certain you’re going to stick with the same model of dash cam for some time, this can be beneficial as it will have direct access to the car’s 12V electricity supply via the fuse box, meaning even if the engine is switched off, it can draw power if needed. Some dash cams have a parking mode, for example, that will record bumps when you’re parked and the car is locked; if you plug into the cigarette lighter socket, it’s unlikely the dash cam will receive power from it while the ignition is off.

Note: As most dashcams are plugged into a 12V (cigarette lighter) socket for power, if you have only one socket in your car and already use it for a sat nav or for charging your mobile phone, you will need to invest in an adaptor. Halfords has a number available: .

2019 dash cam reviews

Blackvue DR900S 2-CH dash cam review

Test date February 22, 2019

RRP at time of test £499.00

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Rear camera? Included

Installation ★★☆☆☆

There were no instructions included in the box but Blackvue tells us this was simply an error when sending the test device to us – customers get a booklet with dual-language instructions.
Fortunately, set-up isn’t rocket science. Inside box you find both front and rear cameras, along with two cables, one which links the cameras and one for power. Both cables can be hidden from sight by tucking them into the trim around the car’s roof and A-pillar.

The front camera is quite large but because of its cylindrical shape and lack of screen, it doesn’t obscure the road that much, and can be tucked safely away behind the rear-view mirror. The rear camera is very small and unobtrusive, and it’s quite simple to install and connect.

Both cameras attach via adhesive pad, which isn’t our favoured method (we like suction mounts), but Blackvue provides additional sticky pads and, thankfully, a tool to remove them from the glass should you need to reposition the cameras or sell the car.

And both cameras rotate within a ring on the mount, so the angle can be adjusted without too much bother, but to frame the shot perfectly you’ll need to link the camera to the mobile app, making things that little bit trickier.

The app doesn’t take long to download but we weren’t able to connect to the camera via WiFi because it operates on two WiFi bandwidth, and by default it’s set to the one that my Huawei P10 isn’t on.

In order to make it connect, I was later told, I’d need to download Blackvue’s Viewer application to my computer, take the SD card out of the camera and plug it into the PC via the USB adapter, and switch the bandwidth via the settings on the computer. It’s a faff, to be honest, and because the Sunday Times doesn’t allow us to download unapproved software, I had to give up.

In the end I got the angles right but the rear camera, I discovered, was mounted upside-down. Not a disaster, but it could have been avoided with a screen on the device

It was all going so well, too. At least there’s a 16Gb card included.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

Not having a screen makes things quite a lot more difficult, as you can see above, both in terms of framing the shot and changing the settings. Importantly, even if you can’t connect the camera to your phone, connecting it to the 12v socket means it records straight away, so you can get up and running quickly, even if you need to fine-tune at a later point.

LEDs on the back of the device light up to show you it’s recording and connected to GPS, and voice notifications tell you it’s recording, recording an “event”, if you’re approaching a speed camera, etc.

Irritatingly for us Brits, the LED for WiFi is on the left side of the device, which we can’t see from our right-hand drivers’ seats (driving on the left has been adopted by a relatively small number of countries and Blackvue’s native South Korea is not one of them). Instead, we get to look at the side into which the cables connect.

Switching audio on and off is quite simple – you touch the left side of the device –although without any instructions we only found that out by chance.

An apparent omission is an event record button, with which you can lock footage. This is essential for situations in which you witness dangerous driving or an accident involving a third party. After the test we found out that you can change the audio on/off button via the settings to do this, but this should be the default. It should also be much more obvious to users – marking event record buttons in red, as some other manufacturers do, makes it much easier to find quickly.

And watching the footage back on my PC was also not too tricky, by removing the SD card and watching on a PC, via the USB adapter. The Blackvue saves separate files for each camera, but with corresponding file names.

Functions ★★★★☆

It features all the basics: loop recording; crash sensor; built-in GPS. In addition to that you get timelapse recording, speed camera warnings and a parking mode (to record bumps while parked), but for that you’ll need the device to be “hardwired” into your car via the fuse box, rather than the 12v socket.

Major plus points for the fact that it has both front- and rear-facing cameras, of course, but for nearly £500 you’d expect bells, whistles and more besides.

The party piece is free access to BlackVue Cloud, which allows the camera’s position and footage to be stored online, and streamed/downloaded from anywhere in the world (via a unique login). This is a fantastic bit of functionality but it also requires a WiFi dongle in your car, which we didn’t have, and the set-up is tricky.

In theory, it would allow your spouse to get an alert on their phone in the event of you having an accident, and view what happened within a few minutes; even if you were in another country. They should also be able to communicate with you with voice message via the camera, so they could ask, “Are you OK?” after an accident. That’s assuming you have a WiFi dongle, and both it and the dash cam are receiving power from the car.

Of course, Blackvue offers a premium service for which they ask for a subscription fee, adding unlimited live streaming, extra online storage and 90-day GPS tracking history.

Video/ audio quality ★★★★☆

The 4k front camera offers really excellent clarity in daylight, with crisp licence plates evident, and even the 1080p rear camera offers a decent quality image in sunlight, though registrations on vehicles passing at speed aren’t quite as obvious. It didn’t help us that the camera was upside-down.

Both cameras record at 30 frames per second and offer a wide field of vision (162 degrees at the front and 139 degress at the rear. Audio is clean and clear.

At night, the image quality reduces and signs/ number plates are much harder to work out, especially with reflection from headlights, but this is not unusual and the front camera still offers a decent picture overall. The same is true of the rear camera, but that actually seems to brighten up the edges of the frame better than the front, at the cost of added grain.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

A good number of features – including a rear camera, cloud storage and live streaming over the internet – within a compact and attractive package. The quality of the image is very strong, too. Sadly, the user experience is not what it could be, and that price makes it almost impossible to recommend.

Words: Will Dron

Mio miVue J60 dash cam review

Test date February 22, 2019

RRP at time of test £119.99

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Rear camera? No

Installation ★★★★☆

Getting up and running quickly isn’t too tricky, partly because this is a front-facing only dash cam (there’s no second camera to install on the rear window) but also thanks to a simple-to-follow quick start guide.

However, there’s no screen, which makes it harder to frame the shot and change settings. To do this you have to install a smartphone app, which then connects to the phone via WiFi. While this is not ideal, from a usability point of view, Mio’s technology actually works (unlike some others we’ve tried) and we were up-and-running in a few minutes, with a live feed from the camera and access to the settings. If only all screenless dash cams were as easy as this to operate.

Another good thing is that the power cable uses a standard micro USB connector, which would be handy in case you need to replace it.

Recording starts as soon as it receives power and a voice alert tells you it is running
We weren’t too happy with the fact that it comes with an adhesive mount (suction mounts make it easier to reposition or remove the camera), and we’ve knocked off a star because there’s no memory card in the box.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

Again, not having a screen doesn’t make things easy in terms of adjusting the setting or playing back a file, but for everyday recording, the J60 is simplicity itself. There are just two buttons on the device, one for pairing a phone via WiFi, which can also be used to mute the microphone, and a power button, which doubles for event recording (locking a short clip in the memory.

The miVuePro app seems to connect fairly easily and it allows you to view and download footage to your phone, from where you can share to social media, police or insurers, as required.One thing we didn’t do (or realise was neccessary) was switch it from the default kph to mph measurement units.

But we’re going to be generous and award four stars, despite the J60 not having a screen, because it’s not complicated and it all just… works. Having tested a lot of these now, that’s not to be taken for granted

Helpfully, date, position and speed are stamped on the footage by default.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

Bit of a mixed bag on video quality. It’s only 1080p, which is noticeable fuzzier than the best 4K cameras on the market, but its not the worst quality we’ve seen, the frame rate is smooth and numberplates in daylight are easy to make out.

At night, again the picture is a little grainy but the light sensor seems to balance the highlights and shadows better than most, giving you a clear, wide field of vision

Audio is loud and crisp.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

We found Mio’s products to be a cut above in the past, and this is no exception. We’d have preferred it to have a built-in screen but don’t really mind as the app connectivity works well. There are a lot of smart features included and the video quality is perfectly good, if not the best on the market. A good value for money offering.

Words: Will Dron

Z-Edge T4 dual camera dash cam review

Test date February 22, 2019

RRP at time of test £139.99

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Rear camera? Included

Installation ★★★★☆

Being a dual camera dash cam installation is a bit trickier, with one camera going on the front windscreen (using a strong suction mount), and the other going on the rear windscreen (via an adhesive pad). The cable that connects the two is long and quite thick, though tucking it behind the roof lining trim isn’t too much of a chore.

The rear camera isn’t huge but its 4cm x 4cm footprint is more obvious when looking in the rear view mirror than some others we’ve tried.

The front camera is also huge, primarily because the touchscreen is so vast: 4in from corner to corner. This means you’ll need to find a good spot on the screen that doesn’t block your view of the road.

The big screen does mean framing the shot is easy, and the rear camera is plug-and-play, so the second image appears as soon as it’s connected.

There’s a 32Gb memory card included in the box, which is brilliant as it means you can get up and running straight away, and the power cable has two USB ports, meaning one is left free for charging a mobile phone.

We found that the front camera swivelled a little too easily in the mount for our liking, but a pair of tiny screws suggest tightening it wouldn’t be too tricky.

Ease of use ★★★★★

That huge screen make navigating the menus so easy, even with fat fingers, and video playback via the screen is also excellent. The menus themselves are superbly styled. Top marks here.

Functions ★★★☆☆

Having a rear camera is such a bonus, but this Z-Edge loses marks for not having GPS, so your position and speed are not recorded. Of course, it does have a G-Sensor, so that bumps are recorded, and date and time can be stamped on the footage.

A battery in the unit means parking mode can work even if the device isn’t hardwired, though only for short periods of time. We’d also imaging the battery will perish quite quickly due to the effects of extreme heat and/or cold inside the cabin, so if this is important to you, have a pro connect it up to the car’s fuse box.

There’s also a motion detection option, in case you want to record movement around the car while parked.

Sadly there’s no option for connecting to a smartphone so sharing footage has to be done using a PC, after transferring the files via USB. That’s not too much of a chore, but a bit antiquated these days.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

We were really impressed with the clarity and stabilisation of the image from the front camera, despite it only recording in 1080p resolution when in dual camera mode (it can record up to 1440p on its own). Numberplates are sharp during daytime driving. The rear camera is also 1080p but the pixelation was more obvious. Both have a 155-degree field of vision.

At night, camera shake is a little more obvious and reg plates are difficult to make out, but that’s common to most dash cams and quality is still pretty decent.

The video from the rear camera is so dark that it’s hard to make out anything in low light, though a wide dynamic range (WDR) mode does improve the clarity from both cameras somewhat, and of course the rear camera would pick up headlights coming at you in the lead-up to a rear-end collision.

Audio is loud and clear.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

We love the easy-to-use touchscreen and the video quality is surprisingly decent. The fact that there are two cameras is a major selling point, and set-up is simple. But marks are knocked off for not having GPS or smartphone connectivity for easy file sharing.

Words: Will Dron

Apeman c550 dash cam review

Test date February 22, 2019

RRP at time of test £62.99

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Rear camera? Included

Installation ★★★☆☆

It may have an amusing company name but there’s no nonsense in the way the Apeman C550 attaches to your windscreen. Its mount is a slither of plastic that sticks to the glass via adhesive pad, and the front camera slides directly onto it, creating a close, solid connection.

You then angle the lens via dial at either side of the device. It’s quite a neat solution that means you can position it high on the window and don’t have anything dangling in your eyeline.

We prefer suction mounts, as they make it easier to reposition the camera, but the built-in 2in screen is helpful in framing the shot, at least.

A nice feature is the USB slot on the back of the power cable’s 12V plug, so it’s possible to charge a smartphone from the same socket.

Then setting up the rear camera involves plugging the cable into the front camera and threading it to the back window, then tucking the wire into the roof lining. It’s not too tricky but does add a bit of time.

The rear camera is tiny, which makes it marvellously discreet, and comes with both adhesive pads and the option to attach to the boot lid via screws, should you prefer. That’s something we’ve not seen before and would require expert knowledge – we don’t advise drilling holes in your car if you’re not sure what you’re doing, for obvious reasons.

One other warning: the only way to angle the camera is to bend the metal, which isn’t something you’d want to keep playing with as there’s a danger it could snap with repeated flexing.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

As soon as you power up the Apeman starts recording and you’ll see footage from both camera on the screen, so getting going is nice and simple.

And a built-in screen is really useful for accessing and changing settings – you can alter G-Sensor sensitivity or turn on the motion sensor within a few seconds. The operating system is very similar to many older dash cams, though, and is a little dated now.

It’s not a touchscreen – there are five buttons on the back to navigate the menus and alter settings, and they’re not labelled intuitively. For example, if you want to switch the microphone on or off while recording, you press the down arrow. And the warning triangle looks like it should be the event record button, to lock important clips, but it’s in fact the button to start and stop recording. Locking files is done via the menu button. Bizarre.

Once you know your way around, it’s all fairly simple, though. The user manual is fairly easy to follow if you get stuck, although its translation into English isn’t perfect; the Q&A section has the question, “Will the dash cam continue working after the car flame-out”, which presumably means after the ignition is switched off rather than after the car’s been set alight (which would be impressive).

Functions ★★★☆☆

At a shade over £60, you wouldn’t expect the Apeman C550 to be feature-packed, but it has most of the basics, including a G-sensor to record bumps, along with a few nice-to-haves such as a wide dynamic range setting, for improved clarity at night, as well as a parking mode (requires hardwiring) and motion sensor.

But to record your speed and position you’ll need an external GPS module (sold separately), which may make this a non-starter from some users. There’s no smartphone connectivity, to make file sharing easy, either.

We’d give it two stars here but the rear view camera bumps the rating to three (even though the quality is poor – see below).

Video/audio quality ★★☆☆☆

The front camera has an especially wide-angle lens, giving a useful 170-degree field of vision. Its 1080p resolution is acceptable but the picture becomes a little pixelated at speed, and you’ll want to switching on wide dynamic range if you want a decent view of shadowy areas in bright daylight, as the contrast between light and dark areas is otherwise quite extreme.

The little rear camera offers really poor quality footage, sadly, both in terms of resolution and focus. It’s better than not having a rear camera at all (and for £62 all in, what did we expect?) but if you want clarity you’ll have to look elsewhere.

At night, WDR is even more important, and the footage from the front camera is quite grainy but passable. You can forget about the rear camera, though – it produces some of the least acceptable footage we’ve ever seen from a dash cam.

Audio is clear, at least.

VERDICT ★★☆☆☆

The Apeman C550 is a low cost dash cam and that’s reflected in the fact that there’s no built-in GPS and the quality of the footage is not brilliant, particularly from the rear camera. Not a complete waste of money but hard to recommend.

Words: Will Dron

Vantrue On Dash N2 Pro dash cam review

Test date February 22, 2019

RRP at time of test £159.99

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Rear camera? Included

Installation ★★★★☆

Aping the Nextbase Duo we test a couple of years ago, the Vantrue OnDash N2 Pro combines a front- and rear-facing in a single device. This makes installation much easier than having a separate camera for the rear window (in fact, the rear-facing camera is more designed to give a view of the inside of the cabin than what’s going on through the rear window, but we’ll come to that).

The mount uses a suction pad rather than an adhesive pad, which is a good thing, and as with the Nextbase Duo, the camera can receive power from the mount, rather than having the cable connect to it directly, which makes removing the camera from the car, should you want to hide it from thieves or much easier.

It’s quite easy to angle the front camera in the mount, with just the right amount of tension in the ball joint, and the rear view lens rotates up and down fairly easily.

The small, 1.5in built-in screen helps with framing the shots, but as with the Duo, the device is designed to suit left-hand drive cars more than right-hand drive, as the rear view camera is on the side closest the driver rather than nearer the centre of the car.

The handy quick start guide recommends charging the device for two hours prior to use but we just plugged in and got going without any bother. Disappointingly, date and time have to be set manually, and there’s no memory card in the box (you’ll need to buy one separately.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

Recording starts as soon as power is connected but there’s no event record button (pressing the warning triangle button simply captures a snapshot), which means if you witness an accident in which you’re not involved, you won’t be able to lock the file.

The setting can be changed via the built-in screen and button. It’s slightly awkard having four buttons underneath and two on the rear, and they’re quite small, meaning precision is required, but navigating the menus isn’t too tricky and the operating system responds quickly.

Functions ★★★☆☆

If you want GPS, for recording of speed and location, you’ll need a special GPS mount (sold separately). There’s also no ability to connect to a smartphone, which means sharing footage can only be done by connecting to a computer via USB, transferring the file and doing it from there.

But it does have a G-sensor, parking monitor and time lapse mode.

And the rear-view camera, which mainly offers a view of the cabin interior (great for cabbies, we’d suggest), although you can see out of the rear and side windows to some extent, means it gets an extra star. Importantly, an infra-red system means it allows you to see what’s going on even in extreme low light, at night (see below).

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

Both cameras record in 1080p resolution although we’d describe the front-view picture in daylight as adequate rather than exception, as there’s a degree more fuzziness than some other products we’ve tried. In addition, the image isn’t as bright as other products on the market in daylight.

At night, the footage is decent overall – you get a sharp view of the road directly in front of the car – but signs at the side of the road are a bit too blurry to make out.
The rear-facing camera is more successful, we’d say, with a really very sharp view of what’s going on in the cabin in daylight and the infra-red lights doing a good job of illuminating the passengers in apparent darkness.

Audio is very clear.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

It’s not the most attractive device (it looks like military-grade hardware) but it’s sturdy and footage is decent, if not exceptional. It’s particularly successful at recording what’s going on inside the cabin, suggesting this might be most suited to private hire and taxi drivers. It’s just a shame that GPS isn’t built in.

2018 dash cam reviews

Halfords HDC100 Dash Cam

Test date: August 21, 2018

RRP at time of test: £49

Installation ★★★☆☆

Simple to attach and reposition on the windscreen, thanks to its suction mount, which connects strongly with the glass. The cable should be long enough to hide in the trim of your car’s roof lining and A-pillar, then under the carpet to the centre console. But for those with a 12V (cigarette lighter socket) in their car’s armrest, between the front seats, rather than below the dashboard, a little extra length wouldn’t go amiss.

The 2in screen gives a clear view, to aid positioning, and the camera can be removed from the mount thanks to its magnetic connection, very similar to that offered by Nextbase.

On the downside, you need to go into the setting and make sure the screen is set to time out.

Ease of use ★★☆☆☆

While trying to set the time and date manually, we established that the five buttons on the HDC100 were for (from left to right) Menu, Down, Record start/stop, Up and Emergency record (lock a file). While in the Menus, we worked out that the Record button also acts as the OK button.

Sadly, none of the buttons seemed to move us on past setting the year in the time and date menu – pressing the Rec button simply took us back out of the date and time menu – so we were stuck with the thing living in the past to the tune of around three months. This is not exactly helpful when trying to establish the facts in an insurance claim or police report.

Fortunately, we found it updated automatically after connecting to the app (which wasn’t terribly co-operative with this model, when compared with the HDC400), and we were able to change other settings via the menu without problem.

Side note: we’re not sure why Halfords’ emergency record button has a blue triangle symbol on it… surely red would be more appropriate? At least the use of colour helps it stand out from the other black and white buttons.

Would be three stars, but for the bugs in the software.

Functions ★★☆☆☆

This is Halfords entry-level dash cam and so comes with the least amount of functionality, but even the HDC100 includes WiFi, allowing it to connect to an app on your smartphone. This suggests customers want to be able to view, download to their phones and share footage from even the most basic of dash cams these days.

We found connecting to be a little fiddly – we wrestled with it for a while and found the connection dropped off from time to time – but perseverance allowed us to try downloading a file, only to find it takes an age to do so. It’s better and quicker to remove the memory card and copy the files to your computer via USB.

Other functions? Well, it records 720p video on continuous loops, includes audio (if you want it), has a G-sensor to detect collisions and a manual file lock button, but there’s no GPS to record speed or location.

Video/audio quality ★☆☆☆☆

Officially, it records at 720p but the quality is really quite poor both in daylight and at night, with plenty of grain – don’t expect to be able to read numberplates clearly in any circumstance. There are other budget options with far superior image quality. Audio is OK but muffled.

VERDICT ★★☆☆☆

For an entry-level dash cam, you don’t expect much but the low quality of the video and frustrations with the WiFi connectivity make this one to avoid, especially if you’re asked to pay the full £49 RRP.

Words: Will Dron

Halfords HDC200 Dash Cam

Test date: August 21, 2018

RRP at time of test: £69

Installation ★★★★☆

As with the HDC100, power to the HDC200 goes directly to the suction mount and is fed to the camera via male and female connections on the two elements. This allows customers to remove the camera easily when they leave the car by sliding it off the mount.

The sturdy suction mount (rather than adhesive) makes it simple to attach and reposition on the windscreen.

The cable should be just about long enough and the large 2.7in screen allows you to get the best viewing angle within a second or two.

As with the HDC100, you need to go into the settings to make sure the screen is set to time out. And as with all Halfords dash cams, there’s no memory card in the box – you have to buy that separately (although they’re quite cheap these days).

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

It starts recording as soon as receiving power, and connecting to the MyHDC app was problem free. It takes a little while to download files over the connection but once that’s done it does mean footage can be shared to the police, insurers or social media accounts fairly easily via your phone.

The menu is access via a clear Menu button on the rear, and the up/down arrows are fairly obvious. That the ‘Rec’ button is also the ‘OK’ button isn’t as obvious as it could be, but once that’s understood you can flick through the settings options fairly quickly.

As with the other Halfords cams, the emergency record button is a blue triangle, which doesn’t make a great deal of sense – it should be more obviously labelled.

Functions ★★★☆☆

As mentioned, the HDC200 includes WiFi connectivity, allowing it to connect to an app on your smartphone. It records 1080p video on continuous loops, includes audio (if you want it), has a G-sensor to detect collisions and a parking mode, so bumps while you’re away from the car can be captured. But as with the HDC200, there’s no GPS to record speed or location – for that you will want to look at the HDC300, which also has the ability to connect a rear camera, but that’ll cost you an extra £30.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

A marked improvement on the woeful HDC100, this dash cam captures clear video at 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels, ‘full HD’) and 30 frames per second, with a 140-degree viewing angle (versus the HDC100’s 120 degrees. Numberplates in daylight can be clearly visible.

At night, the resolution is a little grainy but still pretty good. Audio recorded fine but was quite heavily muffled.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

Unlike the HDC100, this is a dash cam in the low- to mid-pricepoint that you should consider, with good video quality, WiFi connectivity, a nice big screen and quality suction mount. While not an essential feature, the lack of GPS may mean it stays off many people’s shortlists, though.

Words: Will Dron

Halfords HDC400 Dash Cam

Test date: August 21, 2018

RRP at time of test: £129

Installation ★★★☆☆

The HDC400 comes with an adhesive mount and no screen, so positioning the camera is trickier than it might be with a suction mount and some way of instantly lining up the field of vision, but a central location proved fine.

Fine-tuning the angle can be done by sliding the camera lens up or down in the housing, but you have to connect to the Halfords dash cam app via WiFi to do so. The app was simple to install and connecting to the camera was quick and easy.

The camera can be removed from its magnetic mount by sliding it backwards, meaning it can be removed when you leave the car.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

No having a screen makes the app essential, if you want to change any settings. We found the GPS stamp option wasn’t turned on, for example, meaning speed and location aren’t shown at the bottom of the video recordings.

As a plug-and-play dash cam, though, it’s a pretty simple package with a single power button underneath and easy link-up with the app. It’s a shame it take a while to download video files to the phone.

Functions ★★★☆☆

This is Halfords’ all-singing, all-dancing dash cam, with the highest resolution video of its current line-up, the ability to connect a rear-facing camera, WiFi connectivity, Parking Mode, built-in GPS (allowing you to track journey details in the app) and a G-shock sensor.

A bizarre omission, though, is an emergency record button. The only thing you can do is take a photo snapshot, by pressing and releasing the power button. Not being able to manually lock important files is a major flaw of the HDC400.

Video/audio quality ★★★★★

We were very impressive with the exceptionally clear daytime footage from the Halfords HDC400, and the 180-degree viewing angle provides a massive field of vision. Clarity at night is good, too, although the was a high contrast between the dark and light areas of the picture. Audio was very clear and crisp.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

Great quality video, WiFi connectivity and the ability to add a rear camera (at extra cost) make this an attractive option for £129 but, for simplicity of set-up, we will always prefer to have a screen on the camera and the lack of an emergency record button is a deal-breaker for us.

Words: Will Dron

Mio MiVue 766 WiFi

Test date: August 21, 2018

RRP at time of test: £139.99

Installation ★★★★☆

The Mio MiVue 766 ticks most of our boxes for ease of installation: a handy quick start guide; good quality suction mount; ball pivot and large screen for quick framing; plug and go recording; date and time set automatically; auto-shut off screen (it’s illegal for the screen to be showing video while driving – see top of page). The power cable, which connects to the 12V (cigarette lighter) power socket, could be a touch longer but it should suit most cars.

There’s also a slot to connect a rear-facing camera (MiVue A20) but we didn’t have one for our test.

The only thing we had to adjust was the speed units from kph to mph (the screen cuts off video and simply displays the date, time and your speed by default). And there’s no memory card in the box, which we find unhelpful.

As it’s a WiFi-enabled dash cam, there’s an accompanying app for Android and Apple iOS called MiVue Pro. Once installed, we found we were able to connect our phone to the camera but then kept being asked about hotspots and it all got a bit confusing (if you’re having issues here, turn your phone into a portable WiFi hotspot and entering its name and password into the MiVue app – it does connect after a few seconds). Bit of a faff, but actually we’ve seen worse and reconnecting a second time is quite straightforward.

Ease of use ★★★★★

Sticking with the MiVue Pro app, it’s simple to live view from the camera but that’s a slightly unnecessary feature, given this model has a screen. More useful is the ability to download the clips, enabling you to then share to social media, or via email or the National Dash Cam Safety Portal as evidence of a crash, for example.

The camera itself is a delight. The touchscreen interface reacts quickly and the menus use large, clear icons, making it easy to find your way around.

There’s only one physical button on the casing – the power button. It has red colouring and food us into thinking it’s the emergency record button, but pressing it just turns the screen on – for an emergency record you need to tap the warning triangle symbol on the screen itself. Once you know, no problem (and it’s clarified in the quick start guide), but it’s not the most intuitive design.

That’s a minor grumble with what is, actually, one of the easiest to use dash cams we’ve ever tested.

Functions ★★★★★

It has the things you really need – continuous recording, integrated GPS for speed and location, a G-sensor for detecting crashes – but also a host of excellent extras including the WiFi/app connectivity and touchscreen already mentioned, plus speed camera alerts (updates included in the price) and the option to switch on things like Parking Mode (with motion and bump detection), headlight reminder at dusk and a fatigue alert, after two, three or four hours. There’s also a front crash detection warning and lane departure warning, with either beep or voice alerts, but as the dash cam can’t also brake the car, they may end up more of an irritation than an aid. They’re off by default.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

The MiVue 766 WiFi records in 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels, ‘full HD’) at 30 frames per second, which is an average resolution these days, but it has marginally sharper images than the Thinkware F100 (also 1080p). Bright sunlight and night footage were a bit more of a struggle – numberplate were harder to make out – though no more than most. Audio was very clear.

VERDICT ★★★★★

Up near the best in terms of image quality, more than enough features and one of the most pleasing user interfaces we’ve come across make this our favourite dash cam of the year so far.

Words: Will Dron

Thinkware Dash Cam F100 (with Rear View Camera and External GPS)

Test date: August 21, 2018

RRP at time of test: £169

Installation ★★☆☆☆

The F100 is a little fiddly to install. In theory, all you need to do is insert the memory card (included), attach to the windscreen and run the cable to the 12V (cigarette lighter) and away you go. But with no screen, making sure you have a spot-on view of the road ahead isn’t an exact science.

The instructions say to select a location that can record the entire view in front of the vehicle without obscuring the driver’s view. Well, the camera is small, so it doesn’t take up a lot of room, which is good, but to get the best view of the road you need to record some footage then remove the memory card and check it on your computer, then adjust as needed. Although it should only need a slight tweak, the process is a bit of a pain.

Making matters more difficult is the fact that mount comes with an adhesive mount, rather than a sucker, so if you’ve badly misjudged the cameras position you’ll have a job getting the thing off the screen, then you’ll need to fit a new adhesive patch (included in the box).

We were sent the Rear View Camera and External GPS (for tracking your location), which mean additional installation. The rear camera comes with a long cable that needs to be tucked away in the roof lining, and the camera itself also uses an adhesive mount. The GPS – further adhesive and an additional short cable on the windscreen. Most dash cams include internal GPS, so this seems rather inconvenient.

Having said all that, the whole process probably takes 30-40 minutes and once the installation is complete, you’ll not have to worry about it again. In theory, anyway – a chip in our car’s windscreen meant replacement glass and a refit. Oh, and if you have a dog that rides in the boot, you may find it enjoys a good chew of the rear view camera and cables. Which is a pain, we can tell you.

Ease of use ★★☆☆☆

Not having a screen is a real inconvenience. Watching back footage and changing settings cannot be done through the camera itself – you need to do that through your computer via Thinkware’s PC Viewer software. This is also how you update the firmware.

Manually locking footage of an accident or event isn’t hard – there’s a small button on the right side of the device to do so, although it’s only marked with a small red dot, which isn’t as obvious as it could be.

Functions ★★☆☆☆

The F100 has continuous recording with a G-sensor, to lock footage in the event of a collision, but if you want to record your speed and location, you need the external GPS accessory. And if you want to record the rear view, the second camera is extra, too (or you could be a package to include all three). At least the basic camera is expandable, meaning you can add bits over time.

Other functions are limited but there is a parking mode (when hardwired), which will record any bumps after you’ve left the car.

If you have the GPS accessory then you’ll get voice alerts any time you near a speed camera zone at around the speed limit, keeping up with the flow of traffic, which gets incredibly irritating after a while. We drove along the M4 away from London and found a section where we kept getting the alert for about a mile, interrupting a conversation with a passenger. Visual alerts on screens are best but we’d settle for a simple beep noise, very occasionally.

It’s also highly sensitive to bumps, meaning that it locks a file unnecessarily most times you go over a speed hump.

We award one star for the F100, but an additional star for the rear view camera package.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

The F100 and rear view camera both record in 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels, aka ‘full HD’) and we got decent quality from both, especially in normal daytime running, although the front-facing camera isn’t the best for clarity that we’ve ever tested. Bright light and high contrast at night also made numberplates a little hard to make out. But overall, good performance, and having the rear view (with a slightly wider field of vision – 144 degrees rather than 135 degrees for the front camera) is extremely beneficial. Audio was clear.

VERDICT ★★☆☆☆

Towards the end of the test, we couldn’t wait to remove the F100 and fit something else, primarily because of the incessant voice alerts but also because the lack of a screen makes viewing footage and changing settings a chore. And not having an internal GPS transmitter is a bit odd these days. On the plus side, it’s a small device that tucks away neatly, the footage is decent and it comes with a 16Gb memory card in the box.

Entry-level forward-facing dashcams

Would have scored highly but the plastic assembly for sucker mount, which allows the camera to be slid on and off without having to unplug the cable, broke twice while on test, suggesting teething problems with manufacturing. Nextbase told us our model (which we tested extensively between late 2016 and mid 2017) was an early one and the problem was identified and fixed, with all models sold after March 2017 using new components. Hopefully this also fixes another issue with the sucker coming unstuck, as it did on several occasions with our 112. Nextbase says it will replace faulty mounts free-of-charge.

In theory, the Click & Go mount, which itself is connected to the 4m power cable with the camera sliding on and receiving power via metal touch points, is a clever and useful idea; it allows you to grab the camera easily when leaving the car, reducing chances of a break-in.

A star is also knocked for no SD memory card in the box – you’ll have to buy that separately – but the camera itself a cute, compact design that you can get up and running within minutes.

Ease of use ★★★★★

The Nextbase 112 starts recording as soon as you provide it with power (e.g. starting the engine), the menu is simple and easy to navigate via the screen, the record button is clear, as is the emergency record button. Top marks.

Functions ★★★☆☆

While there’s no GPS, which would record your speed and location, it does have a G-sensor (with sensitivity settings), a decent screen allowing you to replay footage instantly, a photo mode and a parking mode, which can detect bumps while the car is parked. An in-built battery lasts for up to 30 minutes.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

The 112 records at 720p resolution, so not full HD, and the 120-degree viewing angle is average, but the quality is excellent for a budget camera and audio is captured clearly, too.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

Could be the new leader in budget dash cams but the issues we had with our early example’s mount are cause for concern.

[N.b. After this review was published, JooVuu got in touch asking for feedback to help it improve the product. It also updated its quick start guide to make set-up easier to follow. On this basis we agreed to retest the device, however we stick by the original verdict]

Installation ★☆☆☆☆

It’s a nice size and shape, so it doesn’t take up much room on the windscreen, but it only has an adhesive mount so you’ll need to get its position right first time. Requires an app so you can’t get started until you’ve connected the camera to your phone, which, is not at all simple.

There are two models: one with a battery and one that uses a capacitor. The battery suffers in the heat of your car interior on a hot day and in the freezing cold of winter, so we advise going with the capacitor. Both versions have three buttons, and it’s not obvious what any of them is for. The “M” button, we guessed correctly, is for “Menu”. The button next to it, on the underside, printed with a video camera allows you to stop and start recording. The third, located on the side, we worked out through a process of elimination while struggling to follow the laughably-named “Quick Start” guide is the Power button. (Update: following our feedback, the “Quick Start” guide now includes labels for the buttons.)

Once you’ve inserted a memory card (there isn’t one in the box so you’ll need to buy that separately) you are required to format it (delete any exisiting data), which involves a sequence of button presses with success indicated by a flashing (or was it solid?) green (or maybe blue) LED. This took around 10 minutes of concentration to master.

Next you have to download the app and connect the phone via WiFi, but first you need to put the camera into pairing mode, which involves another round of button pressing. This took more time and much frustration, as the camera didn’t seem to want to pair with our Samsung Galaxy until the fifth or sixth attempt.

(Update: we were taken through the set-up process by the manufacturer, and it’s relatively straight-forward once you know the sequences, but we forgot it and when it came to doing it again later we were back to square one)

Ease of use ☆☆☆☆☆

With the camera and app connected, you can use the smartphone to view a live stream of the footage, change settings and view recordings. Except we saw a number of error messages while connected and were unable to reconnect the camera after the first go, so we gave up. Sorry, readers, but it was that bad a user experience.

Functions ★★★★☆ (based on manufacturer claims)

JooVuu boast of a “7G lens” and up to 2560p resolution (1080p is full HD) at 30fps, along with a stereo microphone, motion detection, G sensor, car plate stamp, speed recording, the ability to change the clip length between 1,2,3,5 and 10 minutes in length, along with the ability to change the field of view (155, 120, 90 and 60 degrees) – an extra lens was included in the box but it’s not obvious what it’s for or how to attach it. However, as we gave up on the JooVuu before recording any of our own footage, so perplexed as we were by the mind-boggling and fiddly set-up process, we cannot confirm or deny the full extent and quality of the functions.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆ (based on manufacturer footage)

Better than full HD is claimed, and at 30fps, with stereo audio. Again, we gave up on the device before fitting it to a car so we’ll have to take JooVuu’s word for it. The footage on the manufacturer website looks decent, if not the best we’ve seen.

VERDICT ★☆☆☆☆

If you’ve forgotten what it feels like to be so frustrated you want to pull your own hair out, buy this product. (Update: we wanted this British start-up to succeed, and gave the manufacturer every chance to guide us through set-up and operation over the phone, but were still left irritated when it came to running the device at a later date)

TaoTronics seems to have thought of everything. Aside from the camera itself, inside the box is a 3.6-metre USB charging cable with a 12V (cigarette lighter socket) adapter that has two ports, for 1.0A and 2.4A output – the dash cam takes the latter, leaving the 1.0A slot free for trickle charging a phone. There are two mounts, so you can choose to use to stick it to your windscreen using adhesive pads of a suction mount (which we much prefer as it avoids mess and allows easier repositioning). You also get cable clips with adhesive backing, to keep the cable tidy, and a shorter USB cable for connecting to your PC. Bonus marks are awarded for including a big 32Gb micro SD card and a 30-month free extended warranty card in the box.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

There’s nothing revolutionary about the design and the menus are similar to those you’d find on a Nextbase, so functional rather than beautiful, but it’s easy to find your way around using the four buttons and 2in screen, and it starts recording as soon as it receives power. A grumble, though, is that the emergency button isn’t coloured red so it’s not immediately obvious in the event that you need to find it in a hurry.

Functions ★★★☆☆

Without global positioning, the TT-CD06 lacks a feature that many will want on their dash cam, but there is the all-important G-sensor. It also includes an internal battery and motion detection and parking modes, which can record if there’s a bump or movement around the car while you’re parked. Other dash cams also have a lot more whizz-bang, but that’s reflected by the price.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

Overall quality of footage is really very good, particularly for this end of the market. It records in 2K resolution (2048 × 1080 pixels) at 30 frames per second or 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels) at 45fps, and the result is a smooth crisp picture in either mode. The 160-degree angle of vision is a bit wider than average. Footage appears clearer than average in low light conditions – TaoTonics says it has a 400W light sensor and 6-layer lens – but struggles a little in blinding light, when the sun is low in the sky.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

On the basis of this, TaoTronics could become a major player in dash cams. The TT-CD06 is an attractive, compact dash cam delivering decent quality video and excellent audio clarity. We also like the fact that it comes with a long warranty, and two types of mount along with other helpful bits and pieces in the box, including a 32Gb memory card. Overall, it’s easily a match for the Nextbase 112; it’s just a shame you have to pay a fair wedge more for it. Earns our Best Budget Dash Cam 2017 award.

Mid-priced forward-facing dash cams (from £99.99)

Simple enough, comes with a decent suction mount and the power cable is a decent length. However, there’s no micro SD memory card in the box so you’ll need one separately

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

The button layout isn’t terribly clear and they feel quite cheap and fiddly, and the menu looks budget, too, but it’s simple enough to find the settings you need via the 2in display.

Functions ★★★★☆

Includes GPS, so you can view your position via map coordinates or on the map provided in the accompanying software, plus a G sensor to detect accidents. It also uses a lithium battery, so you can replay footage away from the car for a short time, but chances are this will perish over time when exposed to the extremes of hot and cold in the car’s interior (while parked in the sun/ during winter). Recording starts as soon as it detects power. It’s just a shame there’s no emergency button, allowing you to lock footage of accidents or events you witness in front of the car.

Video/audio quality ★★★★★

Records in full HD (1080p) resolution, and the quality of the footage is exceptional in day and night conditions, displaying numberplates clearly. Audio is a little muffled but perfectly decent.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

Excellent video quality and decent functions in an average package, and the omission of an emergency button is a big mistake. One for Maplin patrons but won’t impress those used to tech from the likes of Apple.

We’ve had a 412GW on test for a number of months now. Early in the test we were having problems keeping its Click & Go mount (a Nextbase innovation last year) stuck to the windscreen and after a while, in extreme heat, it broke. We had a very similar experience with the Nextbase 112, which was also one of the first to use Click & Go. Nextbase sent a new mount and told us the problem was identified and fixed, with all models sold after March 2017 using new components.

Since then, we’ve not had any problems with the 412GW’s mount, and the Click & Go idea is excellent: the camera itself slides on and off — and receives power from — the mount, with the 12V power cable running into the mount from the cigarette lighter socket. The cable is 4m so you can run it under the carpet, up the inside of the trim around the A-pillar and the down into the mount. All very simple to set up and it means the camera can come with you when you leave the car.

As usual with Nextbase dash cams, a star is knocked for there being no SD memory card in the box – you’ll have to buy that separately.

Ease of use ★★★★★

As with most dash cams, the Nextbase 412GW starts recording as soon as you provide it with power (e.g. starting the engine), so you don’t have to think about pressing record. The 412GW is almost exactly the same as the 512GW, albeit a little smaller, and uses touch-sensitive buttons that are slightly less easy to locate without looking at the unit. They respond well, though, and the menu system is simple to navigate via the 3in screen, if not especially attractive.

Functions ★★★★★

The 412GW shares most functionality with the 512GW. Importantly, it includes GPS, so it can show exactly where you had the accident, and a G sensor that will detect bumps and lock footage associated with it. An inbuilt battery last up to 30mins, which might be useful immediately after an accident.

A smartphone app is simple to use and connects quickly, allowing you to download and share footage. We’re warming to the idea of WiFi/app-enabled dash cams but really, their use is limited.

Video/audio quality ★★★★★

Supposedly, the 512GW is superior to this camera as it has an anti-glare polarising filter, although the difference in quality is minimal. That is to say, the footage from the 412GW is also superb, day and night. Nextbase uses a six-lens system for extra clarity, and the 140-degree viewing angle is decent; it allows you to capture objects in the periphery.

The 412GW records in 1440p “Quad HD” resolution, which means the image comprises 2,560 x 1,440 pixels (for comparison, full HD is 1080p, or 1920 x 1080 pixels) at 30fps. If you drop the resolution to record at 1080p, it will record at 60 frames per second. Audio is clear, too, if you wish to include it.

VERDICT ★★★★★

A little less expensive than the Nextbase 512GW but packed with almost all of its tech and functionality. A problem with the Click & Go mounts appears to have been resolved so we can highly recommend the 412GW; it hits a sweet spot of affordability, video quality and features.

Words: Will Dron

High-end forward-facing dash cams (from £149.99)

The 512GW uses Nextbase’s Click & Go mount, so you run the cable from the 12V (cigarette lighter) socket, hiding it from sight under carpets and behind interior trim, and attach the mount to the windscreen via its sucker. But the camera itself can slide on and off this mount, receiving power via metal s. It’s a clever system that allows you to remove the camera quickly and easily when you leave the car, without disturbing the mount. A quick-start guide is included in the box to help guide you through the process.

Nextbase had issues with the reliability of the sucker mount initially (we had several fail on us), but as reported in our review of the Nextbase 112 (above), the manufacturer says it has resolved the problems; we have had no issues with the 512GW.

Date and time are set over the airwaves, so this dash cam is ready to go and starts recording as soon as you connect the power.

We have knocked a star off as Nextbase doesn’t supply a memory card with its cameras, so you’ll need to buy one separately.

Ease of use ★★★★★

As easy as they come. The 512GW uses touch-sensitive buttons that are slightly less easy to locate without looking at the unit, but they respond well, and the menu system, while not especially pretty, is simple to navigate. Even the smartphone app (see below) is simple to use and responds quickly.

Functions ★★★★★

The 512GW is absolutely loaded with smart features. It’s WiFi enabled, so you can connect it to a smartphone app and play back footage before downloading clips to your phone, from which you can share online (we can’t see a way to do this via the app currently). There’s GPS, so it tracks your location and speed and shows it on the footage (you can remove the speed/ stamps via the menu if you prefer), and a G-sensor, which recognises sudden movements (such as an accident) and locks the file.

The Nextbase 512GW also includes Parking Mode, so if you decide to leave the camera in the car when parked it can detect bumps from other cars and start recording. There’s even a new time lapse mode, which takes snaps along your journey and creates a speeded up video of the trip, should you want one.

Interestingly, there’s a slot on the shoulder labelled “R CAM”, for which there isn’t a lot of info at the moment but we understand this will allow a second camera to be connected so that you can record out of the rear window, too. However, this is still in the development stages and will require a software update to work; expect some news in the second half of 2017.

Video/audio quality ★★★★★

The 512GW is Nextbase’s current (July 2017) flagship model and records in ultra-high definition 1440P (also known as Wide Quad HD, with the image comprising 2,560 x 1,440 pixels). Numbers of pixels does not a good image make, we have found, but the 512GW’s is superb thanks to a polarising filter and a six-element glass lens, which reduces glare and reflections. Numberplates in daylight are crystal clear, ans the 140-degree viewing angle offers a good view of the edges of the road.

Night time images aren’t noticeably clearer than older models, it has to be said, but the 512GW is still a front-runner in this department. Audio is very clear.

VERDICT ★★★★★

Nextbase video quality remains the gold standard for dash cams and you’ll struggle to find better on the more expensive models, while its products remain as easy to use as ever. The 512GW is loaded with features and insider suggestions that it may be possible to connect a rear-facing camera at a later date are intriguing. It’s our Best Buy Dash Cam 2017.

Thinkware F770 forward-facing dash cam review

RRP at time of review: from £219

Check latest prices at

Installation★★★☆☆

The F770 is offered as a front camera device with a 16GB memory card, for £219, or as a front and rear camera unit with 32 GB, for £269. Additionally, there’s the choice of either a ‘plug and go’ 12V (cigarette lighter) power lead, or it can be hard wired into the car, with no difference in price.

The prices are expensive, so the F770 needs to put in a good performance to justify its place in the market.

Thinkware, a South Korean manufacturer, supplies an adhesive mount that attaches to the inside of the windscreen and secures the F770. It is easy to fit and remove the dash cam from its mount, but if drivers wish to change vehicle they will need to buy either a replacement sticky pad for the mount (£4.99) or an additional mount (£12.99). There is no optional sucker mount that’s compatible with the F770.

Ease of use★★★☆☆

The Quick Start Guide booklet supplied isn’t particularly clear for novices. For example, it doesn’t explain in layman’s terms that the user needs to locate the F770 on their smartphone’s WiFi settings menu, and establish a connection between the two, in order.

The manufacturer’s manual is better. However, there’s a catch. To power the F770, you need to be in the car, so setting it up with a smartphone and while looking at the instruction manual can be a head-scratching affair.
The device is controlled via buttons on the unit or using a free app on your smartphone. But again, you need to be in the car to operate any of this, as the dash cam needs to be powered up.

The app connects to the dash cam using a generic password and is easy to navigate and operate. You’ll need it, as it’s the only way to check the camera’s view of the road ahead, other than watching back recorded video footage.

Functions★★★★☆

As mentioned, the F770 is WiFi enabled, so connects to a smartphone. That allows users to change the unit’s settings, such as whether or not you want it to capture footage should the car be bumped when parked (only with the hardwired version).

Drivers can choose to activate audible alerts for safety (speed) cameras, a lane departure warning (above 30mph) and a front collision warning (above 20mph), which sounds a chime accompanied by spoken alerts. These are issued based on embedded GPS and road data.

The forward facing camera records in 1080p with High Definition, and its Sony image sensor is claimed to provide outstanding video quality in low-light conditions. It offers a 140 degree viewing angle.

The 16GB version stores 124 minutes of footage, as invidual one-minute films and files, and overwrites these once the memory card is full. In the event of an accident, should the dash cam detect an impact it saves and protects footage of the 10 second priors and after the impact.

Video/audio quality★★★☆☆
There is no vehicle speed or location information provided when playing video files. However, the quality of the audio was good.

The F770 seemed to struggle when driving toward the sun. Changing light conditions, such as shadows from trees, would cause lens flare. It also struggled with reflections of the dashboard against inside of the windscreen. The camera records at 30 frames per second, but often it was difficult to read number plates of other vehicles.

At night, the ‘super night vision’ didn’t seem particularly super to us. On lit main roads or in suburban areas the picture quality was fine, but on unlit roads the only visible areas were those illuminated by the headlights.

VERDICT★★★☆☆

The Thinkware F770 offers average performance that fails to justify its high price.

Now that Nextbase’s mounts appear to be fault-free (see Nextbase 112 review), the full benefits of the Click & Go Mounts are becoming obvious, as not only can we slide the camera on and off the magnetic mount with ease, when entering or exiting the car, but can also switch between Nextbase dash cams without any fuss at all. For buyers, this means you should be able to upgrade your dash cam by simply sliding off the old model and sliding on the new one. It takes about two seconds.

When installing for the first time, the cable runs from the mount, up into the headlining of the car, along to and down the A-pillar, tucked inside the trim, and then under the carpet and back up to the 12V socket in the centre console. Sounds complicated but it’s really not – anyone can do it in just a few minutes.

The sucker for the mount isn’t quite as powerful as other products on the market, and you’ll need a residue-free area of glass for it to stay put without dropping off, but assuming the windscreen is squeaky clean, it should remain attached until you choose to remove it. An adhesive pad is also supplied, should you want a more permanent solution.

Nextbase is marked down as usual for not supplying a memory card with the product; you’ll need to purchase one separately (the 612GW requires a 64Gb or 128gb U3 class MicroSD card).

Ease of use ★★★★★

Nextbase has introduced a touchscreen with the 612GW, as well as a new menu system. It’s now extremely easy to navigate around and get to submenus quickly. However, the company hasn’t forgotten the all-important emergency record button, which can be found on the right-hand side of the casing and is marked clearly in red, so top marks for ease of use.

Functions ★★★★★

The 612GW has GPS logging, a G-sensor to lock footage in the event of an accident, a parking mode to record bumps while you’re away from the car and WiFi connectivity so that you can share footage from your smartphone easily. By default it logs a high and low quality version of each video file, meaning footage should be easy to share even if you don’t have a fast internet connection.

The 612GW also has an auto-dimming function for the screen at night (although you should go into the settings and set the screen to time out if you want to comply fully with the current laws on screen use in cars), a time lapse mode and spoken announcements for when key features are activated. Nextbase also offers its own video editing software on a disc. Pretty good all round.

Video/audio quality ★★★★★

The 612GW is marketed as the world’s first 4K dash cam, with a 3,840 x 2,160 pixel resolution at 30 frames per second and HDR (high dynamic range). The benefit, in theory, is clarity, allowing you to see details such as numberplates and so on in ultra high definition. We’ll be honest: the benefits over cheaper Nextbase dash cams in daylight are marginal and at night, virtually non-existent. So, in terms of image quality, things haven’t move on that much since the first Nextbase we reviewed a couple of years ago, the 402GW. It’s worth saying, though, that the 402GW still ranks highly for image quality (we still use it a base comparison for all dash cam reviews) and so even marginal improvements are impressive. But still, in terms of image quality we wouldn’t be able to recommend the 612GW over the 512GW, also launched in 2017, which records at 2,560 x 1,440 pixels (known as Wide Quad HD) and costs £100 less.

Audio is extremely clear.

VERDICT ★★★★★

Video quality is only very marginally better than less expensive Nextbase products so you’ll have to think carefully about whether you want to splash the extra cash, but it’s still market-leading. We really like the touchscreen menu, Click & Go mount and range of functions, as well as the brushed aluminium design. Smart and the quality is definitely evident, so it deserves the full five stars, but it is pricey and the SD card costs extra.

Words: Will Dron

Rear-view mirror dashcams

We’ve only seen one other rear view mirror dash cam, in our very first round of testing — the Crash Catcher CC3, which includes a rear-facing camera as well as the front-facing camera. In terms of concept, though, the idea is the same: the unit sits on top of your car’s rear view mirror rather than the windscreen. You can view the footage and menus via a screen that sits behind the mirrored glass, which can be switched off leaving just the mirror. This Nextbase model is slicker in design than the Crash Catcher, with a smaller bevel, reduced thickness and discreet buttons along the lower edge.

The sole camera faces forwards and sits on the left side of the device, behind the mirror, which improves the slick design and makes it less obvious to potential thieves; from the cabin, it looks just like a regular rear-view mirror. However, the position of the camera on the passenger side does suggest that the Nextbase Mirror dash cam may be more at home in a left-hand drive vehicle, as the mirror would be angled so that the left side is positioned furthest forward. On a UK, right-hand drive car, the right edge of the mirror is pushed toward the nose of the car, meaning the camera is some distance from the windscreen.

The angle also means that the camera must be tilted as far to the right as it will go in order to point straight ahead, and some of our Golf test car’s rear-view mirror mount, which is thick as it also holds the car’s own collision detection camera, was in shot. After some fettling, though, we did manage to get a decent view of the road ahead, albeit with the far top-right corner of the frame obscured (see still image). Importantly, there was a clear view of the road in the lower right corner.

Attaching the Nextbase Mirror to the car’s mirror took just a few moments, and the process was easier than with the Crash Catcher: four small suckers on the camera side stick onto the car’s mirror, then you hook a couple of rubber hoops around the back of the mirror and onto hooks located on the top and bottom of the device.

The power cable plugs in to the top of the device and can be run along the inside of the car’s interior trim, down the A-pillar and under the carpet to the 12V (cigarette lighter) socket. It’s only marginally more fiddly than a standard dash cam. Halfords, which has exclusive rights to sell the Nextbase Mirrow until September 2017, offers to hardwire it into your car for £30, meaning this could be the least conspicuous dash cam we’ve tested.

Once powered up, the clock sets automatically and it starts recording straight away, assuming you’ve inserted a memory card into the slot on the underside. Unfortuantely Nextbase don’t include one, as some other manufacturers do.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

It’s no more complicated than any other Nextbase dash cam, and they’re pretty simple to operate. As mentioned, providing power starts recording so there’s little to concern yourself with on a daily basis. The menu system is clear and simple to navigate via the 4in screen, although they’re not the most aesthetically-pleasing we’ve tested; Nextbase’s menus are a bit low-fi — more PC than Apple Mac — but it’s a system that you can find your way around very quickly using the up and down arrows and OK button.

The emergency button isn’t clear, however – it’s simply labelled with a white exclamation mark. If the button were coloured red it would be easier to find when you need it, should you witness a crash ahead of you.

Functions ★★★★☆

It’s loaded with the most useful functions currently available: GPS (global positioning), to record your location, a G-sensor to monitor sudden movements, such as accidents or hard braking and a parking mode (which will wake up the camera if a bump is detected while the car is parked). It also includes WiFi connectivity, so you can view footage on and download to a smartphone, which is a function we’re quickly warming to.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

It records in 1080p (full HD) at 30 frames per second, which isn’t the highest resolution on the market today. However, the footage is clear, if a little grainy, and numberplates/road signs are as clear as most rivals’ efforts. Night footage is also decent, as is audio, and the 140-degree viewing angle is fairly standard today and offers a good view of the periphery.

Important note here: the first time we used the device the video froze five minutes into our journey and remained frozen for the rest of the journey (audio continued recording without error). It worked fine from the next time we drove the car, however, suggesting all we needed to do was switch it off and on.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

Discreet and inexpensive, with decent video and all the functions you’ll need — this a good device for those who don’t want a electronic devices cluttering up their windscreen. Although we set it up with a decent view of the road, due to the position of the camera lens it may not be suited to all right-hand drive cars, so try before you buy.

Words: Will Dron

Sat nav dash cams

Considering how complicated this could be, given the complexity of the device, Mio have made it as easy as possible. The power cable is short – only around 1.3m – which is enough to get from the 12V (cigarette lighter socket) socket to the screen, but not hard-install and hide it away behind trim. To be honest, you’ll be removing the device from your windscreen and hiding away from view after use, so it may be preferable for many. Although you could find a longer power cable, as it connects via mini USB, the factory cable includes an aerial for global positioning, so you’d lose signal.

The main problem with the 65 LM is its sheer size; it has a 6.2” screen. You’d think this would be an advantage, as the mapping is clearer, but as it takes up so much room on your windscreen it can easily obscure your view of the road. The printed Quick Start Guide states, “Never mount your device where the driver’s field of vision is blocked,” but how you can do this is questionable. Remember, the law says dash cams should intrude no more than 40mm into the swept area of your windscreen wiper blades and must not be mounted in the area directly above the steering wheel.

Assuming you can find a safe and legal place on the windscreen, the suction mount is good and strong, and the screen slide neatly on and off. Mio also sells a rear camera, which connects via another mini USB cable, but the basic device is blessedly simply and free of unnecessary cables.

Switch it on and the Mio Tutorial greets you, explaining how to use the menus and navigation, but there’s no explanation of how the dash cam works and it’s not clear if it is recording at this time time. The main menu has good, clear icons, including one for the camera, so you dive straight in there and make sure the positioning of the camera affords a good view ahead.

Helpfully, Mio supplies a 16Gb memory card in the box, allowing you to get up and running without delay.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

As mentioned, the menus are clear, simple and attractive, and the size of the screen is obviously helpful; even fat-fingered owners will be able to type destinations into the digital keyboard.

There are problems, however, besides being able to see beyond it to the road ahead. The first thing is that it’s not obvious at any time if the dash cam is recording. In the map view, while using navigation, there’s a small icon for the camera. Tap this and three more icons slide out, one of which clears things up; it allows you to stop (or start) recording.

The other two icons open up the camera view and the footage respectively and herein lies another problem. Everything is accessed via the touchscreen, rather than physical buttons, and pressing the right area of the screen while on the move is difficult to say the least. In fact, we’d have to recommend pulling over and stopping the car if you want to find and change a setting as there is a danger of being distracted. See .

Functions ★★★☆☆

A sat nav / dash cam combo is great, on the face of it. It does assume, however, that you want to use the navigation for every journey… unless you’re a minicab driver, this probably isn’t the case. Yes, it comes with real-time traffic info, but we’re yet to find a mapping system as good as Waze for this sort of info, and routing around traffic in central London, so cabbies may not be especially interested. On the plus side, it includes safety camera info and lifetime map updates.

There are other smart features, too: lane departure warning, which tells you if you drift out of lane on a carriageway, and forward collision warning, which warns in case of hitting something ahead of you. Of course, these can’t act on the brakes or steering so it relies on the driver responding.

Importantly for the dash cam side of things, a G-Sensor (to record accidents) and GPS (of course) are included. There’s no app compatibility, for sharing footage via your phone, but you can transfer video files to a computer fairly easily via a memory card reader.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

Footage records in “Extreme HD” (2304 x 1296 pixels) at 30 frames-per second, which should provide crystal clear images. However, daytime footage quality didn’t blow us away – it was a little grainy. In twilight, it was pretty good, comparatively.

A 140-degree viewing angle gives a pretty decent view of the periphery.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

Combining sat nav and dash cam is sound on paper, and Mio’s execution is laudable, with a big screen, lush menus and lots of functions. As with the other devices below, if you’re in the market for both a dash cam and a sat nav you can argue a case for this all-in-one device. However, the 65 LM’s cumbersome size, sub-Waze traffic-negotiating skills and average video quality mean the whole is less than the sum of its parts. We’ve awarded four stars to match the scores of the Garmin devices tested previously, as the Mio is as good as its rivals.

Words: Will Dron

Forward- and rear-facing dash cams

There aren’t that many dash cams on the market that have both forward- and rear-facing cameras contained within the same casing, and for the Nextbase Duo HD it proves to be both its main strength and its weakness when it comes to installation.

It’s good in that it doesn’t require a second camera to be attached to the rear window, with a cable running through the car to the main, forward-facing camera; this means it’s less fiddly and time-consuming to get up-and-running. It’s less smart in that getting the perfect position on your windscreen can be quite tricky, if you want to get a good, clear view both forward and through the rear window. The forward-facing camera has a 140-degree wide angle lens, while the rear-facing camera is a telephoto lens that gives a 50m zoom view through the back window, and getting the two angled for an unencumbered view both ways is a little tricky.

To help, the rear view is shown on the 2.7in screen in a smaller window (the screen is very useful here) and in the end we did manage to find a spot that got a decent view front and rear. Importantly, it was also in a legal position on the windscreen (dash cams should intrude no more than 40mm into the swept area of your windscreen wiper blades and must not be mounted directly above the steering wheel). However, we recommend trying before you buy to make sure the Duo HD is suitable for your particular car. In the picture above, it’s positioned directly behind the rear-view mirror, but that’s not always possible on modern cars, which often pack their own radar and/or camera in that position, for driver assist systems such as auto emergency brake and lane departure warning/assist.

Power is supplied via a long cable that plugs into the 12V socket and up to the Nextbase Click & Go Mount (which enables the camera to be slipped off and on very easily. The cable can be tucked away behind the rooflining, behind trim down the A-pillar and under the carpet. Once it has power, it starts recording…. assuming you have bought a micro SD memory card, that is; as ever, Nextbase doesn’t supply one in the box.

Ease of use ★★★★★

Installation aside, the Duo HD is very simple to operate. It records as soon as you switch on the ignition, has a clear emergency record button, marked in red, and navigating the menu via the buttons under the screen. Although it does have WiFi and connects to the Nextbase app, the screen means you don’t need to mess around with any of that if you don’t want to. The only downside is that, now we’ve experienced the touchscreen on the Nextbase 612GW, the Duo HD’s menu system is a bit slow to manoeuvre through and less aesthetically-pleasing by comparison, but it’s just as simple to use as other Nextbase models that have received top marks in this regard.

Functions ★★★★☆

A rear-facing camera is a major advantage, we reckon, while the basics are all ticked off: GPS logging and a G-sensor (for recognising accidents and locking the footage). In addition, there’s a parking mode that records bumps while parked up, WiFi so that you can view and share clips via your smartphone, and Nextbase’s Replay 3 video editing software, should you want to trim the footage, join clips, or add text and titles via your PC. It doesn’t have lane departure warnings or any other driver assist systems that some dash cam makers pack in to their products, but those are not missed in the slightest.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

Both cameras record in full HD (1080p) at 30 frames per second and the quality appears to be very good in the daylight for both cameras, with the rear-facing 50m zoom lens doing a much better job than expected of picking out details such as drivers’ and cyclists’ faces. The rear camera is less good at recording number plates, due to the fact that they’re normally below what is visible through the rear windscreen, and at night you can see virtually nothing in unlit areas.

The forward-facing 140-degree camera performs much better than the rear camera in low light conditions and appears to have excellent clarity in daylight, but if you pause footage of passing cars, number plates are blurrier than other Nextbase cameras we’ve tested. Still, buyers may appreciate the trade-off in quality of footage for the benefit of having an eye fore and aft.

Audio is clear and records on video footage from both cameras (forward and rear views are logged on the memory card as separate files).

VERDICT ★★★★☆

At less than £200 the Duo HD could be seen as very good value for money when compared to other dual camera solutions. It is a little tricky to position on the windscreen, so try before you buy, and the footage isn’t as sharp as the best cameras on the market today, but as an all-in-one front- and rear-facing dash cam solution, the Nextabse Duo is neat. Earns our Top Tech Dash Cam 2017 award.

In short, not easy but you should only have to do it once. It comes in a nicely-presented box and the two camera stick to rear window and front window using adhesive mounts. Normally we prefer sucker mounts as it allows you to move the position of the camera easily, but the compact size and cylindrical shape of each means you should be able to attach centrally on the screen, probably behind the rear view mirror at the front, angle the lens and then forget about it.

Then you’ve got to connect the cameras using the supplied AV cable, which should then be concealed behind the roof lining. Then attach the power cable and plug into the 12V supply, again tucking the cable away behind trim and under carpet. Give yourself about 20 minutes to half an hour for this. If you want to hardwire the RC500S into your fuse box for an even more permanent installation, expert knowledge and extra time will be required.

Then you’ll need to connect to the app on your smartphone (downloaded from your app store). Ho-hum, we’re not keen on dash cams without screens, partly because they make it easy to ensure you’ve got a good, clear view of the road but also because checking footage via an app adds an extra step to the process of checking footage. It’s all just a bit fiddly.

And be warned, the instruction leaflet is basic. If you’re at all tech blind or impatient, get someone else to do the installation. Also, we installed the rear camera upside down, so check the orientation before you pack everything up.

They good news is that a 32Gb memory card is supplied in the box.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

To be fair to the Dod, once you’re installed you don’t have to think about the cameras at all – they just run in the background. Switch on the car and you can hear the camera power on. Press the WiFi button on the main camera and you get a voice alert telling you it has switched on, ready to connect to your phone. It also has a clear emergency record button, to lock footage of an incident, should you spot one ahead (or behind in the case).

We have to mark it down for the app, though. It works better than most app-based dash cams, it’s fair to say, but it’s still designed by a programmer and not a real human being. It’s the sort of app that would drive Steve Jobs to murder, all odd fonts, weird symbols, convoluted menus and overlay over overlay. You will need the app user guide supplied in the box, for sure.

The good news is, you probably won’t use the app much and if you want to access footage, the best way to do it is to remove the micro SD card and connect it to your computer (via a USB adapter.

Functions ★★★★☆

Having forward- and rear-facing cameras is a pretty big bonus, given that rear-end collisions are commonplace, but there are other tricks up the RC500S’s sleeve. Global positioning info records where you are on a map, the G-sensor will detect shocks and lock what it believes to be important files, Parking Mode (hardwiring kit only) will record any bumps while you’re parked, the speed camera alert does what it says on the tin and the time and date are set by satellite. It has what you need.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

Resolution for front and rear cameras is 1080p but the quality of the footage from the rear camera is so much poorer than the front. Not only is it more pixelated but it’s also a lot darker in low light. The front camera is pretty good in this regard, featuring a Sony Stravis SMOS sensor and up to ISO 12,800, but there are other top devices with more crystal clear images.

You get a slightly wider field of vision at the front (145° compared with 140° at the rear).

Audio is clear, however, and is picked up from on both cameras (videos from each are recorded as separated files simultaneously on the SD card).

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

Installation is tricky, the app is fiddly and the image quality is decent rather than exceptional, but it’s a slick-looking product that has been carefully designed, with some important features. And speaking from experience, having a rear-facing camera should not be sniffed at. Definitely one to consider if you need a dual camera dash cam and know your way around electronics.

As with the Dod RC500S above, this has two cameras that mount to front and rear windows via adhesive mounts. Again, we prefer sucker mounts as it allows you to move the position of the camera easily, but as with the RC500, the Thinkware F800 is compact enough that you could attach centrally on the windscreen (probably behind the rear view mirror) and at the rear, angle the lenses and let them do their thing. In addition, the front camera slides on and off a plate, so you can remove it from the car easily should you wish to.

A supplied AV cable links the two devices, as with the Dod, which should then be concealed behind the roof lining. Then attach the power cable and plug into the 12V supply, again tucking the cable away behind trim and under carpet. And as with the Dod, you’ll need 20 minutes to half an hour for this.

The Thinkware differs in many ways from the Dod, though. For a start, front and rear cameras come in separate boxes. As does the hardwiring kit, should you wish to do this. It’s not quite as neat when it comes to packaging.

We had thought that much worse was the app, which connects to the camera. Or didn’t connect, we should say. Eventually we found the bit in the manual about it and realised we’d installed the wrong Thinkware dash cam app (you need Thinkware Cloud F800 / F800Pro rather than Thinkware Dashcam Viewer) and all was well. The WiFi pairing button is clear enough, as are the helpful audio alerts, and the app is quick to navigate and decently laid out.

It also comes with a 16Gb memory card.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

If you’ve downloaded the right app, not so tricky. With the wrong one, impossible! We do prefer dash cams with screens, as apps are fiddly, but appreciate the compact size and shape on the F800. It’s a shame there’s not an obvious emergency record button, though, in case you spot an incident up (or down) the road that needs to be preserved for a third party.

Functions ★★★★☆

Having a rear-facing camera is a bonus, for sure. It also has a parking mode to record bumps while you’re away from the car, a time lapse mode, a “geo fencing” mode so that the car can be tracked within a certain area (useful for rental companies, parents or fleet managers), GPS, a G-sensor (far too sensitive by default but can be altered via the app), speed camera alerts, a lane departure warning system, a front collision warning system, and an alert to tell you the vehicle in front has pulled away.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

As with the Dod, the resolution for the front and rear cameras is 1080p but the quality of the footage from the rear camera is so much poorer than the front. Not only is it more pixelated but it’s also a lot darker in low light. The front camera is pretty good in this regard, featuring a Sony Exmor R CMOS lens and Starvis sensor, but it’s not quite as good as the best on the market today.

Audio is slightly muffled but quite loud, and is picked up on both cameras (videos from each are recorded as separated files simultaneously on the SD card).

VERDICT ★★★★☆

Has the edge over the Dod RC500S thanks to a much better app (assuming you have the right one), but installation is tricky, there’s not an obvious emergency record button and we still prefer to work with an inbuilt screen, where possible. Footage is also decent but not exceptional. Gets four stars as we think having a rear-facing camera is a real advantage.

Entry-level forward-facing dash cams

Cobra released this dashcam in late 2015 (some time after the CDR 820) but at the time of writing (April 2016), both are for sale for the same price on the Cobra website. It is described as “an easy out-of-the box solution that is quick and uncomplicated to set-up”. It’s simple enough but as with the 820, the screw-in sucker mount isn’t the most user-friendly. It also requires you to enter the date and time before use. However, it shares a couple of advantages with the 820 — compact size and an 8Gb memory card in the box.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

A major plus over the 820 is a simpler menu system — the four buttons below the screen access a nice, clear menu with large icons. In addition, there’s a very obvious emergency record button above the screen and a power on/off button in the top right-hand corner.

Functions ★★★☆☆

As with the 820, there’s no GPS on this one so speed and location are not recorded but there is a motion sensor for capturing movement when the vehicle is parked and it does have a G-sensor to lock footage that might have captured an accident.

Video/audio quality ★★★★★

We awarded the CDR 820 five stars for picture quality and the CDR 835 is just as good, if not better, with excellent picture quality in day and low light condition and no judder or pixelation. The audio is is a little muted, though.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

Another low-cost winner from Cobra, and it comes with the company’s usual 8GB memory card in the box. If you don’t want GPS tracking or other high-end features, the CDR 835 is worth a look.

Not a complicated unit to install — there’s the camera, the windscreen mount and the 3m long power cable, which is USB to mini USB with a 12V adapter allowing a choice between plugging into a USB port in the car or the “cigarette lighter” socket. However, Kaiser Baas insists on supplying adhesive mounts, so when you unclip the camera from the mount it leaves a tell-tale sign that electronic gadgetry may be hidden in the glovebox — we prefer suction mounts, which are also easy to readjust if you get the positioning wrong. You’ll also need to buy yourself a memory card separately, and with no GPS function, you’ll need to set the date and time manually.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

We like the large screen, while six buttons and a reasonably intuitive operating system make the Kaiser Baas R10+ menu easy to navigate. It starts recording as soon as it receives power and downloading the footage to your computer can be done from the camera via USB or, even easier, removing the MicroSD card and plugging it into your computer via a .

Functions ★★★☆☆

There’s no GPS, so you’ll not be able to record speed or position, but the G-sensor will detect crashes and lock the related footage as an “Event”, which is minimum requirement for an effective dashcam. There’s also a Parking Guard mode, which will record for 30sec after a shock is detected while parked, and a Motion Detection mode, which triggers recording when it detects movement, but the value of both of these is debateable.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

The R10+ records in 1080p by default and clarity is decent in daylight, although slightly less crisp than the best 1080p cameras. At night the image is quite dark, which sounds obvious but the best cameras’ sensors do a better at brightening up the image in low light. Audio is nice and clear.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆
Not a bad camera for the price but no GPS function may be a problem for some buyers and image quality, while decent, isn’t up with the best, especially in low light. No SD card in the box and the adhesive mount (rather than our preferred suction mount) may tip the balance the wrong way.

A long power cable is provided, meaning the power unit will reach even the most awkward 12-volt sockets, while the mounting bracket uses a windscreen-friendly sucker mount rather than the horrible adhesive strips.

For some reason, the Mio MiVue 618 took a long time to boot up when we initially set-up the device but the problem didn’t repeat once the correct information was input via the rear screen and the slightly awkward buttons.

Unfortunately, a Micro SD card was not included in the box, so the camera drops a star here, but it’s a relatively simple unit to navigate.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

Despite the Mio’s budget price tag, it manages to cram a lot of features into the diminutive package and that means that there are a lot of menu screens to navigate in order to access all of the functionality.

Like most cameras on sale today, the MiVue 618 starts recording as soon as the ignition is switched on and will automatically save clips if the built-in G-sensor detects an accident.

Functions ★★★★☆

The weight of functions this camera offers is impressive, especially given the price. GPS tracking automatically records driving information, including speed, altitude, longitude, latitude and heading, a speed camera warning will sound and alert when it detects one of the big yellow boxes, while date stamping — including GPS coordinates and speed — will appear on all footage.

There’s also a lane departure warning that will sound if the car drifts into another lane and a Parking Mode, which uses motion detection to activate and record from a parked car when no driver is present. However, this requires constant power supply from an accessory dubbed Smartbox, which is available to buy separately.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

Overall image quality is good, even if the colour can appear a little saturated at times. The addition of date, time and location stamping in the bottom right-hand corner is welcome.

Audio quality is also respectable, given that this is at the budget end of the dashcam spectrum.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

A solid little camera the offers some neat additional functionality at a bargain price. Image quality could be improved and the buttons are a little fiddly but these factors can be forgiven.

Unlike other dashcams, the 212 Lite features a Click&Go Magnetic Powered Mount, which frees the camera from wires, as the base unit receives power instead of the camera itself.

This makes it easy to attach and remove the camera for safe storage in the glove box, while a long 12V power cable easily reaches even the most awkwardly positioned 12V sockets.

Unfortunately, the camera drops a star due to the fact that a MicroSD isn’t included in the box but at this price point, it’s only a minor niggle.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

The buttons may be small but the menu screens are intuitively laid out and extremely simple to navigate. It takes no time at all to set the date, adjust the picture quality and exposure, as well as other recording and power settings.

Like most cameras, this entry-level Nextbase will automatically start recording as long as it’s plugged in and the ignition switch is on. Footage is also saved if the in-built G-sensor detects an accident but users can manually lock in clips with the press of a very obvious button.

Functions ★★★☆☆

This camera does everything that you could want of a dashcam but lacks some of the other features found on more expensive models. There is time and date stamping but it isn’t GPS enabled, so you’ll have to remember where an incident occurred, rather than relying on tech.

Fatigue detection, lane-assist warning and other cutting-edge features are also lacking but Nextbase has an extensive model range that caters for this sort of thing if it’s a necessity.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

There’s nothing entry-level about the daytime picture quality, as the wide angle Six-Element Sharp Lenses are constructed with six layers of glass to provide clear images in full 1080p HD.

The sound quality is also good and the crisp footage makes it very easy to pick out licence plates without having to delve into menus and change exposure and ISO settings.

Image quality at night can be a little grainy but it’s perfectly good enough to capture any unfortunate incidents that may occur.

VERDICT ★★★★☆
An extremely easy camera to set-up and use, with a picture quality that rivals cameras costing twice the price. A worthy addition to any car windscreen.

Words: Leon Poultney

Mid-priced forward-facing dash cams

Although the compact Garmin takes up very little space on the windscreen, its sticky window mount is more permanent than suction-cup rivals. In fact, it’s a pain to peel off and leaves a terrible smudgy mess, making it difficult to experiment with positioning. However, there’s a nice long cigarette lighter charger and it comes with a 4GB memory card, meaning it can be used straight out of the box.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

As long as the unit is plugged in, it will start recording as soon as the key is turned in the ignition. However, as this unit utilises GPS positioning, it can take a few seconds for it to locate satellites. Footage will still be recorded but location stamping may not be available if an incident occurs as you reverse out of your driveway, for example. Four buttons take care of most functionality but these can be small and fiddly to use, especially when on the move. The screen is nice and clear, though.

Functions ★★★★☆

GPS location, time, date and speed stamping are all automatically applied to each video clip, making it easy to pinpoint exactly where and when an incident took place. Incident Detection via G-Sensor technology means clips are automatically locked and stored should it detect sudden braking or a collision. Driver alerts, such as speed camera detection and Forward Collision Warning are available, utilising a loud beep when it detects something is amiss, but we found they became extremely irritating after a few miles. Luckily they can be disabled via the options menu but we wouldn’t recommend doing this while driving, as it’s very distracting.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

Footage can be captured in full HD at 1080p or 720p should you want to save space on the memory card. The viewing angle is superb and the camera handles low light and poor weather conditions very well. Footage is smooth and audio is crisp.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

Video and sound quality are superb, plus it’s very easy to use and retrieving footage is as simple as plugging it into a computer via the provided USB cable. It loses points for the semi-permanent window mount, fiddly buttons and hypersensitive driver warning systems.

About as far removed from “plug and play” as you can get, the Kaiser Baas R30 requires you to download an app to your phone before you can view the footage it records. That’s simple enough, assuming you have a smartphone and an internet connection to download the app. You then connect to the camera via WiFi, allowing you to view a live stream of the camera on your phone for initial positioning on the windscreen. It’s a faff, but you may only need to do this once.

Kaiser Baas supplies adhesive mounts so you’ll want to get it right first time (we prefer the flexibility of a suction mount). The good news is that it’s such a compact design, you could tuck it away discreetly at the top of your windscreen and thieves might not notice it’s there.

Further marks off for the fact that there’s no SD card in the box.

Ease of use ★★☆☆☆

Without a built-in screen, you’re relying on the mobile app to replay footage and check the framing of the camera, and to change settings. One the plus side, there’s little to distract the driver and the emergency record button is clear enough, should you want to lock footage of an accident ahead of you.

Unfortunately our night-time footage didn’t record due to a “card error”, and connection issues with the app meant that we weren’t able to format the card to correct the problem. Trying to rectify the problem was intensely frustrating and, after some time, we gave up.

Functions ★★★★☆

The WiFi element of the Kaiser Baas R30 is a necessity, rather than a useful feature for those wishing to share footage online, which does take some of the fun out of it. Having said that, sharing of footage is extremely easy, with the ability to link your phone to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, as well as two social networks clearly aimed at the Asian markets, Youku and Sina Weibo.

A built in G-sensor monitors sudden shocks and will lock footage when it thinks there has been an accident, and GPS logs your position and speed.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

The R30’s big selling point is its 2304 x 1296 (2K) resolution, which is 44% larger in scale than full HD. That should allow greater detail in the image, and it’s not at all bad, but we found the image to be slightly grainy at full size, with oncoming cars’ registration plates still quite tricky to make out, indicating that the lens isn’t a match for the very best we’ve tested.

As mentioned above, we were unable to get a recording at night due to a “card error”, which is hard to resolve due to the fact that there’s no built-in menu system on the camera, and our WiFi connection kept failing.

Audio is clear.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

The Kaiser Baas R30 promises better-than-HD picture quality and lots of functions but in reality the picture quality is only OK and the key functions can be found on cheaper models. Not having a built-in screen is a major problem, in our experience (see the CrashCam Pro and Roadhawk HD below), even if it has WiFi connectability, and in this case the mobile app connection let us down. We also didn’t like the adhesive mount and the fact that you have to buy a memory card separately. Overall, quite frustrating, especially at this price.

A plug and play model, you’ll be up-and-running in no time as it starts recording as soon as you connect to the 12V cigarette lighter socket. GPS is built in so you don’t have to mess around with extra cables, and the suction mount makes it easy to attach and detach from the windscreen. The 512G drops a star because Nextbase doesn’t supply a memory card in the box.

Ease of use ★★★★★

Nextbase’s menu systems and button layout are as simple as they come. A word of warning, though: you’ll need to set the screen to timeout in order to comply with UK law and when you do so, you’ll need to press the emergency record button twice if you witness an accident ahead; once to wake up the screen and again to lock the file. We fell foul of this ourselves.

Functions ★★★★★

It is packed with everything you need – GPS, G-sensor, screens, wide-angle lens – and very little of the things you don’t (e.g. WiFi connectivity). Motion detection is included, but we’ve yet to find a good use for it. The real point of this camera, though, is the image quality…

Video/audio quality ★★★★★

…which is superb. Nextbase says it has added a new polarising filter that helps removes windscreen glare and reflection but we found there was still some of the latter. Overall qaulity in varying light conditions, though, is unrivalled thanks to a new image sensor and a six-element lens. Crystal clarity is important, especially in situations where you need to record numberplates. In addition, the 140-degree viewing angle ensures that the periphery is covered and the camera performed well in low light conditions.

VERDICT ★★★★★

Another excellent dashcam from Nextbase that raises the bar for image clarity, which could prove vital in capturing video evidence. However, the 402G remains our best buy thanks to its lower price.

There’s no microSD memory card in the box, so ensure you purchase one before use, while the small Philips unit utilises an aggressively adhesive 3M strip to mount the base to a windscreen, meaning careful initial placement is key. We prefer suction mounts.

The unit itself is neat and fits nicely out of the way behind a rear-view mirror, plus a lengthy 12v cigarette lighter adaptor is used for power.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

The unit automatically records when it is powered up and saves clips should it detect an incident, while users can manually override this at the press of a button. However, these four buttons are small, fiddly and often require several prods to make them work.

On the plus side, the extremely simple interface is easy enough to navigate.

Monitor Mode also helps keep unnecessary files off the memory card, as it will record just one frame per second when no movement is detected and will record as normal when movement is picked up again.

But the ADR610 drops stars due to the fact that it simply doesn’t like being plugged into a computer via USB. We tried two different laptops and the camera would boot up momentarily only to switch off again. The only solution to downloading files was via an external memory card reader.

Functions ★★★☆☆

There’s no GPS tracking in this unit so it doesn’t monitor your location, unfortunately.

It does automatically stamp footage with a time and date to aid insurance claims but you have to input this manually upon initial set up.

Users can also automatically play footage back via the unit’s small screen, for example when debating an incident at the side of the road.

There’s also a Fatigue Index and driver alert, which produce a visual and audible warning when it is time for the driver to take a break. This is based on the time of day and time spent driving but will generally sound an alert every two hours during a journey.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

Footage is captured in full HD (1920 x 1080p) at a healthy 30 frames per second. The standard of video is good, but it can look a little grainy in low light situations. Plus, the 100-degree wide-angle lens doesn’t quite capture as wide a field of vision as other models we’ve tested.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

Easy to use and requiring little setting up, the Philips ADR 610 is a neat package. Plus the image and sound quality is perfectly adequate for sorting out insurance squabbles. However, PC connection was difficult and the nannying driver fatigue system does get irksome after a while. Thankfully, you can turn it off.

The camera comes with an adhesive mount, which sticks to the window and provides a semi-permanent placement for a ball joint fixture to neatly slide into.

A suction cup fixture makes less of a mess of the windscreen but there’s a spare adhesive strip included should you get placement wrong first time around. Plus, like most cameras tested, it comes with a long 12V to mini-USB power cable, which you’ll have to pin out of the way to stop it dangling in the driver’s face.

A Micro SD card isn’t included, so it drops a star, but once fitted, it’s simply a case of firing the unit up and following the initial set-up instructions on the screen.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

Like most cameras today, this unit automatically records as soon as the ignition is switched on, and Philips has clearly put some thought into its user interface, which feels much slicker than others tested here. The Windows Metro-esque tiles are simple to navigate, although the small buttons can be fiddly to use.

There’s also a collision alert system, where an emergency recording is automatically saved to secure the evidence, prevent overwriting and take the responsibility away from the driver.

Unfortunately video quality requires some input from the user — see below.

Functions ★★★☆☆

The 1080p full HD video is automatically time stamped, although there is no GPS functionality to highlight where an incident took place.

It does have a fatigue index driver alert, however, which gives a visualisation of a driver’s tiredness as a journey evolves.

Philips’s EasyCapture feature is simply its name for the button that can be pressed to lock an important piece of footage for viewing later.

Video/audio quality ★★☆☆☆

For such a user-friendly piece of kit, the video quality varies greatly depending on the settings, requiring vigilance from the user. Daytime footage is dark unless the ISO is set correctly. Evening footage could also be better, with plenty of light distortion and vibrations affecting the picture quality.

Other dashcams on test automatically adjust to light settings, making it much easier to live with every day.

Meanwhile, the ultra-wide 156-degree lens angle gives an almost ‘fisheye’ quality to clips — in theory an advantage but in reality it is hard to make out features at the edge of the frame.

It has an audio recording function but this came across as modest, with background hissing making it difficult to pick out low volume sounds.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

Good sound quality, crisp video resolution and a very user-friendly interface make this camera worth adding to your shortlist. However, cheaper units with similar features are available.

The Z-Edge Z3 favours a sucker mount over an adhesive strip, making it easy to position the dashcam on the windscreen.

The box contains a long USB cable and car charger adaptor that plugs into the 12v socket, as well as cable clips for pinning the power cable out of the way, a 32GB memory card and sucker mounts. It is light, compact and very easy to get into position.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

The well-presented box comes with a nicely-written, concise and clear instruction manual, which makes it extremely simple to unpack the camera and get it running with minimal fuss.

However, the small menu buttons are awkwardly located on both sides of the camera, meaning it can be fiddly to hit the right option. It requires a pincer motion of the hand to operate and it’s definitely not advised when moving.

Apart from that, the menus are simple to navigate with audible beeps to help swap between screens.

Functions ★★★☆☆

The Z-Edge Z3 doesn’t boast GPS or Wi-Fi compatibility, which makes downloading clips to computers and other devices easier, but it does the simple stuff well.

There’s full date and time stamping, as well as a built-in G-Sensor that can detect a collision and will instantly lock the footage on the memory card. Better still, the camera can be set to detect vibration when the car is parked, automatically firing up the camera using the unit’s internal battery should it detect a scrape from a third party.

Like so many other cameras in the price bracket it will automatically turn on and off when ignition is detected and will loop recording, wiping old unlocked clips to best utilise the space on the memory card.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

The camera records in an impressive 2560 x 1080p super-HD resolution at 30 frames per second, which its makers claim is the maximum currently available to consumer dashcams.

A broad 150-degree field of view (FOV) also offers a great view of the road ahead without the typical fish-eye distortion.

Both the sound and vision are of good quality, with nice widescreen clips covering all of the action but the night time footage does get a little distorted and it can be hard to clearly make out number plates.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

The set-up process is made easier by the sucker mounts, while the video footage is crisp, if a little distorted at the edges thanks to the ultra-wide angle lens. A lack of GPS and Wi-Fi means it’s not the most feature-packed camera in this price range.

Words: Leon Poultney

Sat nav dash cams

The box contains a long power cable and a reusable suction cup mount, which makes it very easy to find a good spot on the windscreen without worrying about leaving horrible adhesive smudges all over it.

This is particularly handy because the unit doubles-up as a satellite navigation device, so finding the perfect spot to both view the maps and capture footage out of the windscreen can be tricky. Luckily, the unit guides you through this process on initial set-up.

However, we found that the power cable proved fiddly to plug in to the device while mounted, so it’s best to plug it in first before securing it in place.

The price does include a very small 4GB Micro SD card, which should be enough to get you started but users may want to consider upgrading to a card with more storage space.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

There are no complaints here (and rightly so, considering the eye-watering asking price), as this machine uses a responsive and intuitive touch-screen display that anyone with an Android device will find familiar.

Like most current dashcams, the Garmin continuously records as soon as the unit receives power (typically when the ignition is switched on) and will save files when a G-Sensor detects an incident or the user manually locks the footage.

Video footage can be reviewed via the device, along with a map view of where the incident took place (thanks to GPS) and the time of the incident.

It’s all very easy and the simple, on-screen prompts make interacting with the device a doddle.

When the car is stopped at a junction or in traffic, a “Go” Alert notifies the driver when traffic in front of has started to move. A Forward Collision Warning alert appears if you’re driving too closely to the vehicle ahead, plus there’s Lane Departure Warning alerts should the driver start drifting out of lane.

Hard-to-read house numbers are magnified thanks to the Garmin Real Vision feature and, when approaching select destinations, the navigation display will switch to camera view, and a bright arrow will point the driver where you need to go.

GPS location makes it easy to work out where an incident occurred, while the ability to connect to a smartphone means the unit can be used for hands-free calling and the display shows text messages and calendar reminders without the need to remove hands from the steering wheel.

There’s also a photo capture mode that allows the unit to be removed from the mount and used as a stills camera, should you need to take pictures of damage. Of course, you could do this with your phone instead.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

Images appear crisp and suffer from very little distortion during the day but quality does suffer a bit during low light situations. It’s certainly not the best camera we have tested here for overall picture quality but it is more than good enough to present as evidence.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

A good bit of kit that covers everything from satellite navigation to driver assist functions and incident recording. Owners will pay the price for such features but if you are in the market for both a dash cam and a satnav, it’s easy to argue a case for this all-in-one device.

Dual-camera (forward and rear-facing) dash cams

Initial set-up takes slightly longer than rival cams, mainly due to the fact that there are two units to secure, one to the windscreen and one to the rear.

The tubular-shaped cameras (the front-facing unit is about the same size as a packet of Rolos, the rear is slightly smaller) fasten to the glass via a sticky pad and are then plugged in to the 12V power outlet via an extra long cable.

There’s also a second wire to contend with, which trails from the rear camera to the front via another lengthy able. This must be threaded into the headlining of the vehicle in question, as not to cause too much of an obstruction, but BlackVue does supply a prying tool to make life slightly easier.

Finally, users are encouraged to download a bespoke smartphone app (available for both Android and iOS) if they are to get the most out of the product.

It’s a slightly fiddly process and initial set-up certainly takes longer than other cameras tested here but a 16GB memory card is included (larger cards available at a cost) and the front camera works straight out of the box if you’re not fussed about covering the rear view or using the app-based and online features.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

Almost all of the camera’s functionality is taken care of via a very slick and intuitive app, which some users may find painful, but the sheer weight of features calls for it.

The front camera itself sports just one button and this turns the built-in Wi-Fi on and off, or formats the on-board memory card if it is held down for a long period of time.

Power to the camera is supplied as soon as the ignition is fired up and the unit will give audio instructions regarding its current state. Users must log on to its Wi-Fi network via a smartphone to get a live feed from the cameras, as well as access files and use other functionality.

It’s certainly not the simplest process and those looking for a ‘plug-and-play’ set-up should probably look elsewhere, but it’s understandable when you consider the sheer weight of services offered.

Functions ★★★★★

BlackVue’s package is arguably one of the most comprehensive offered in the current dashcam marketplace, as it unique smartphone app unlocks a brave new world of potential.

Footage from the cameras can be streamed live, camera settings can be quickly and easily changed via the simple app interface, clips can be rapidly saved to the smartphone or shared through email, Twitter and more. Better still, an advanced geo-location service sees the car’s position highlighted on a map when footage is reviewed.

Speed, location, time and date is stamped on all clips (the latter is set automatically through the smartphone), while a ‘Parking Mode’ will fire up the camera if the built-in G-Sensor detects a shunt when the car is parked up.

BlackVue says that a bespoke power management system ensures that the camera will never run so long that is affects the car battery.

Finally, users can pay to use an ‘Over the Cloud’ service, which backs up clips online, negating the need to save bulky files to a device, as well as allowing owners to access files whenever they are out of the Wi-Fi network’s range.

A free service allows for a limited number of video views and downloads but owners can pay for a monthly subscription to unlock unlimited access. This service also allows customers to fire up and check the camera remotely, which could offer peace of mind to those paranoid about concierge parking facilities at airports, for example.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

A strong performance here, as the Sony Exmor CMOS camera sensor in the front-facing unit records in full HD 1080p at 30fps and a 10Mbps bit-rate. The picture quality is excellent during the day and the 129-degree field of vision captures a large majority of the outside world.

Low-light footage does come across slightly grainy but the image quality is always clear enough to make out licence plates, while the sound quality is crisp and clear.

Footage from the smaller rear camera is good, despite its diminutive packaging, but only supports 1270x720p HD recording at 30fps, as opposed to the Full HD experience provided by the front-facing unit. Still, this is more than good enough to capture any unfortunate incidents that may arise.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

A highly accomplished piece of kit that goes way beyond the typical dashcam features. Although, this may not be required by many drivers.

Entry-level forward-facing dash cams (£49 – £100)

A compact shape and twist-to-grip suction mount plus long cigarette lighter charger make this very easy to attach to and detach from your windscreen. A star is knocked off as there’s no SD memory card in the box – you’ll have to buy that separately. Still, you can get one for a few quid these days.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

As with most dashcams, plugging in the power triggers recording, so there’s minimal delay to starting your journey. Four buttons below the 2in screen enable easy navigation through an uncomplicated menu system, so setting the date, for example, is a doddle. One of the buttons also allows easy locking of video files, ensuring you won’t overwrite any accidents that happen ahead of you

Functions ★★★☆☆

There’s no GPS, so you can’t record your speed or location and then play it back through software on your computer, but there is a date and time stamp on the footage and settings such as video resolution and G-sensor (sudden speed changes) sensitivity, which could help if you have a heavy right foot and find you keep unintentionally locking files with harsh braking or accelerating.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

At 720p, the definition isn’t up there with the best, and the 120-degree viewing angle is average, but it captures 30 frames per second, so there’s no judder in the footage, and low light is handled fairly well. Audio is captured clearly, too.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

Unobtrusive, simple to use and producing good-quality footage, this is a great budget option. Nextbase is recognised by insurers and says Swiftcover will offer a 12.5% discount to customers that use its dashcams.

A suction mount makes this very to attach to and detach from your windscreen. It comes with a 4GB memory card as standard but a larger one can be specified.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

Plugging in the power starts recording and a simple menu can be navigated via the 1.5in screen. Video can be viewed on your computer with your usual video player.

Functions ★★★☆☆

With no GPS or G-sensor, the Smart-i Drive can’t track your location or speed or register an accident automatically. The specification sheet highlights that it can be used as a PC webcam, which gives you an idea of the genesis of the device – it doesn’t appear to have been born for use in a car. However, there is a motion sensor, in case you want to leave it set up to record movement after you have left the car, and it does loop record to make sure recording continues when the memory card is full (the oldest file is overwritten – see above).

Video/audio quality ☆☆☆☆☆

Sound records fine and its 720p resolution is technically high definition. However, a look at the footage will show that the image quality is the poorest of the cameras we’ve had on test, made even worse by the fact that the viewing angle – how much you can see to the left and right – is just 72 degrees; it has by far the most blinkered view of any dashcam featured here (the next worst is 118 degrees – see table below).

VERDICT ★☆☆☆☆

If you’re after a budget dashcam, the poor quality video and a very restricted viewing angle make the SmartWitness Smart-i Drive one to avoid, especially as the Nextbase 101 (above) is superior in almost every way and will save you some cash.

Attaches with a sucker mount and is compact in size. Quite a nice looking unit, too.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

Starts to record when plugged in to the power outlet, while six buttons make it slightly more complex than some but it does enable easy navigation through the intuitive menu.

Functions ★★★★☆

No GPS means speed and location are not recorded, while the 120 degree viewing angle doesn’t offer the widest field of vision out there. However, the 1.9in screen is clear and there are other tricks up this unit’s sleeve, such as motion detection, a clever feature that could be used while the vehicle is parked to capture vandals or thieves stealing fuel from your tank, for example.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

While the picture size is full HD, we found the lens focused on the windscreen rather than the road in front of the car. There is a night vision mode, which should improve the quality of the footage at night, but in reality it wasn’t better than most rivals’ efforts. The audio is poor – it sounds like it is under water.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

A smart little unit that comes with a free 16GB memory card, making it the best value option we tested. However, the lens’ poor focus let it down.

Comes with an adhesive pad rather than a sucker mount, so effectively once stuck it’s hard to remove the mount. You can detach the camera and take it with you when you leave the car, however. The DrivePro 100 comes with a very generous 16Gb memory card in the box.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

Nice, simple button layout makes the menu easy to navigate and the 2.4in screen is large and clear. Video files are easy to play back on the device and on computer.

Functions ★★☆☆☆

The DrivePro 100 has a G-sensor but it’s so sensitive that you’ll be diving into the settings to switch off the thing after the umpteenth time it tells you that it’s detected an accident and is making an emergency recording. Effectively this renders the sensor useless; instead, if you want to lock a file you can do this manually via a button on the side (it locks 30 seconds of footage before and after the button being pressed). There’s no GPS on this model so speed and location are not recorded.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

Picture quality and colours are good. It’s not the best performer in low light but footage is certainly decent and clear. It has a decent 130-degree viewing angle, which ensures a middling-level field of vision. Audio can be recorded but we had inadvertently pressed the mute button while recording, so check the audio icon on the screen if you want to ensure that sound is captured.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

As strong performer in video quality and ease of use but the overly-sensitive G-sensor lets down the DrivePro 100 and we’d have preferred a suction mount attachment.

Slightly fiddly to install as it has a screw-in sucker mount, which can also mean it loosens if you try to angle the camera once attached to the windscreen. However, the tiny size makes it a discreet addition to your car. An 8Gb memory car is in the box.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

Tiny unit means tiny buttons, of which there are seven. A bit fiddly. Having said that, most of the time you won’t need to use them – as with the other models, plugging it into a power supply starts the recording.

Functions ★★★☆☆

No GPS on this one so speed and location are not recorded but there is a motion sensor for capturing movement when the vehicle is parked and it does have a G-sensor to lock footage that might have captured an accident.

Video/audio quality ★★★★★

Excellent picture quality in day and low light conditions, with no judder or pixelation. The audio is captured crisply, too.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

For under £80, this is a great product offering sharp video, clear audio and the basic features. It also comes with an 8GB memory card. Cobra says that, while there are no specific insurer discounts at present, it is working with insurers on this and we can expect details early in 2015.

This Transcend device also comes with an adhesive pad rather than a sucker mount, so effectively once stuck it’s hard to remove the mount. You can detach the camera and take it with you when you leave the car, however. Like the DrivePro 100 (see above), this DrivePro 200 comes with a large 16Gb memory card in the box.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

This also has nice, simple button layout makes the menu easy to navigate and the 2.4in screen is large and clear. Video files are easy to play back on the device and on computer.

Functions ★★★☆☆

As with the DrivePro 100, the DP200 test unit had a very sensitive G-sensor that believed we were having an accident every few yards, thereby making emergency (locked) recordings constantly. You will end up turning off the sensor. You will then need to manually lock files via a button on the side (it locks 30 seconds of footage before and after the button being pressed), but in the event that you are hurt in a real accident, this may not be your first priority (or possible).

For the extra cost over the DrivePro 100, the DrivePro 200 includes Wifi connectivity to allow review of footage over a wireless network and mobile app, but as with the Cobra CDR 900 we found that this was more of a gimmick than a really useful feature. The DP200 also has a VGA video out connection to connect to a television.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

Picture quality and colours are good but not significantly improved over the Transcend DrivePro100. It’s performance in low light was better thatn the DP100. It has an excellent 160-degree viewing angle (30 degrees wider than the DP100), which is one of the highest on test and ensures a wide field of vision. As with the DP100, audio can be recorded but again, we had inadvertently pressed the mute button; be sure to check the setting to make sure that sound is captured.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

Really decent video quality but as with the other Transcend we had on test, the overly-sensitive G-sensor was a big problem. The 16Gb memory card is a great addition at this price but we’d have preferred a suction mount to the adhesive mount. WiFi capability and a mobile app are a distraction, not a necessity, but you’re not paying a huge amount for these additionally features.

The slick, simple look belies a slightly fiddly menu system, with buttons on the top, bottom and side.

Functions ★★★☆☆

The camera can rotate on its axis, allowing you to angle up and down or, if you wish, spin it around to face the rear. The image appears upside-down, mind, and you can change the angle of all the cameras tested by adjusting the mount, of course, so we were a little baffled as to the point of this feature. There’s no GPS to show speed and location and no motion sensor. Fairly limited for the money.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

Records in 720p and the footage is clear during the day, but the camera struggles to adjust to the correct exposure in changeable light. Pretty poor at night with objects difficult to make out; not up there with the competition. Audio is clear, though, and a high frame rate means there is no judder.

VERDICT ★★☆☆☆

Not a terrible unit but certainly not as intuitive or fully loaded as rivals at this price, and low light footage is significantly under par.

Mid-priced forward-facing dashcams

Nice and easy, and records as soon as it is plugged into a power outlet.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

Large screen and simple buttons make it easy to operate, but we’d have liked a clearly-marked button to lock footage in case you witness an accident ahead.

Functions ★★★☆☆

A smart little unit with motion sensor and G-sensor, and while GPS is not standard you can plug in additional hardware if you wish to upgrade at a later date. You can watch the footage using the video player that comes with your computer, so it seems odd that specific playback software comes with the Crashcam as it doesn’t offer any benefits, such as data on your speed and location.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

Video quality is excellent and astounding at night. Not a moment will be missed. Great value.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

Arguably not the most attractive dash cam but it became one of our favourites thanks to the large screen, high quality video even at night and low cost. CrashCam even include a big 16GB memory card. The option to plug in a GPS recorder seems smart but would make set-up slightly fussy.

The DP 220 is relatively simple to install as the GPS is built in, meaning no additional cables beyond the power cord, and it’s a nice, compact unit. However, the UK version comes as standard with adhesive pads and so you’ll need to get the position right first time as removal and adjustment is a pain. It is possible to buy a Transcend suction mount (sold separately), which we strongly advise as it means you can detach the camera easily and it leaves no evidence of any electronic device on your windscreen; use the adhesive mount and you can unclip the camera but it leaves behind the tell-tale plastic stalk.

Once plugged in we had to work our way through a number of date and time settings before the device started recording, but this is a one-time affair and not uncommon. A generous 16Gb memory card comes in the box.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

Transcend’s menus are easy to navigate and the 2.4in screen is large and clear. Video files are easy to play back on the device and on computer. If you want to bother with the WiFi capability and smartphone app then things get a little more complicated, but we don’t see much point in dashcams with WiFi.

Functions ★★★★★

The DrivePro 220 is pretty much fully-loaded, with built in GPS to record your location and speed, as well as a G-sensor to detect hard braking and accelerating or, indeed, a crash. In addition, the latest smart features for dashcams are available including Lane Departure Warning, a speed alarm (for when you exceed the speed limit) and Forward Collision Warning. There’s also a snapshot feature in case you need photo evidence of an accident. Parking Mode will detect movement when the car is parked and start recording, which could prove useful if another driver prangs your car while you’re out and about but could invite car thieves (who would nab the dashcam, anyway).

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

The DrivePro 220 records in 1080p full HD and what is called “WDR” (Wide Dynamic Range), which adjusts the aperture and thereby improves the clarity in low light conditions. We found quality of the footage to be excellent in day and night driving conditions. It has a 130-degree viewing angle, which is mid-table of those we’ve tested and gives a decently wide view of the road. Audio was quite clear.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

The DrivePro 220 has a number of smart features, is simple to use and compact. At under £130 it represents excellent value for money. Just make sure you buy the additional suction mount.

Attaching the camera is simple enough thanks to the suction mount but the GPS is not in-built – it comes as an attachment which adds an extra cable to the set-up, which trails across the dashboard. Quite messy.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

Five buttons mounted under the large screen make menu navigation simple, and it records as soon as power is plugged in.

Functions ★★★★☆

The joint largest screen on offer, the widest viewing angle of the cameras tested, full HD video and a G-sensor mean this is fairly well loaded. The external GPS cable records speed and location, which is stamped onto the video footage, but there’s no software to plot these details on a map.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

Full HD video at a top spec 30 frames per second but, as with the RAC01, this model struggled with low light conditions. The wide angle is very useful for catching what’s going on at the sides of the vehicle, though – it gives the joint widest field of vision of the dashcams we tested, along with the SmartWitness SVC1080 (below).

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

Plenty going for it, and one of the more attractive dash cams, but the low light issue and external GPS set-up are a pain.

The 402-G comes with a sucker mount, for easy attachment to the windscreen, and an extra long power cable that allows you to run the wire around the top of the screen, down the A-pillar and under the carpet, keeping it relatively hidden and out of the way. The GPS is in-built, so unlike the RAC there’s no extra cable running across your dash.

Ease of use ★★★★★

Records as soon as it’s plugged in and has a very simple-to-navigate menu system, with three buttons either side of the screen and two buttons on top of the unit.

Functions ★★★★★

Along with in-built GPS, which records speed and location (you can choose to have this displayed on the video footage itself and/or viewed using the supplied software), the 402-G includes a G-sensor that detects potential incidents and locks the related video file. It also has a motion detector for recording any vandalism while the car is parked, a 140 degree viewing angle (not the widest, but above average) and a 2.7″ screen.

Video/audio quality ★★★★★

If one thing sets the 402-G apart from the competition, it’s the video quality. The lens doesn’t look much at first glance, but Nextbase attributes the video clarity to its “6G” construction, which basically means it has six layers of glass (“More layers equals better quality,” a spokesperson told us). In addition, the 402-G seems to be able to deal with low light better than the competition, thanks to what is called “wide dynamic range” – essentially the lens aperture opens and closes to suit the light conditions, rather than relying on an infrared mode. Audio is also very clear.

VERDICT ★★★★★

Outstanding video quality in all lights plus lots of features for mid-level money, as well as a potential 12.5% insurance saving at Swiftcover, make this our dashcam best buy.

The Snooper DVR-4HD comes with a suction mount, which makes it easy to attach to and detach from the windscreen, and when it fired up the time and date were already set (although to BST during months), so there wasn’t any delving into menus before setting off for the first time. GPS is built in to the device, which is a decently compact size.

Ease of use ★★☆☆☆

We were initially a bit baffled as to why the DVR-4HD wouldn’t power up after being plugged in, but soon located the “on” switch underneath; not something we’ve encountered before and unnecessary, we’d argue. We like touchscreens on dashcams but the icons on the Snooper’s 2.7in display were a little small and the emergency/event icon was especially tricky to press. Then, when you do press it, the only indication is the flashing word “Emergency”, writ small on the left of the screen — we’d have liked an audio alert and a more obvious visual clue that you’re capturing the emergency, as it draws the eye for too long while driving. The menu system is much less intuitive than the Mio MiVue 658, for example, and most the advanced features need to be switched on manually.

Functions ★★★★★

The Snooper DVR-4HD is loaded with tech: GPS and G-sensor are joined by Collision Detection, Lane Departure Warning, Front Collision Alert, Driver Fatigue Alerts (voice and screen alerts after an hour of being switched on, and then every 30 mins thereafter) and Speed Camera Detection. The latter requires regular updates via your PC, and the process is a bit fiddly, and the alerts are not at all obvious — the Garmin Dash Cam 20 and Mio MiVue 658 (both below) do the job better. There’s WiFi capability, so that you can connect to a smartphone and share videos online. However, most of these aren’t vital and it’s likely you’ll not use several of them.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

Footage records in 1080 full HD and with a 140-degree viewing angle. Footage in daylight is very good, with numberplate clarity of on-coming cars being somewhere above the Mio MiVue 658 but below the Nextbase 512G. Night footage is decent but a bit washed out and blurry when compared to the best. We found that the GPS didn’t show our position or speed when tested in daylight in November 2015, whereas it is clearly shown on the night footage from October. Audio is a bit tinny.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

In terms of aesthetics the Snooper DVR-4HD is one of the most utilitarian we’ve tested, and while we like the idea of touchscreens, the menu system could do with a redesign to make it more user friendly. The video quality was pretty decent, though, particularly to make the emergency record function more obvious.

We like dashcams that offer speed camera alerts but the Snooper wasn’t as accurate out of the box as the same system on the Garmin Dash Cam 20 (below), nor were the alerts as clear, and updating the database is an unnecessarily complicated process. There’s a lot of tech here for your money and as a way to record incidents, it does the job.

This attractive dash cam is simple to set-up using the suction mount but doesn’t have an especially long power cable. Comes with an 8GB memory card so it’s ready to go straight out of the (nicely-presented) box.

Ease of use ★★★★★

Very simple to navigate the menu thanks to the up-down-left-right-OK button cluster. Records as soon as it is plugged in.

Functions ★★★★☆

Comes with in-built GPS to record speed and location, which can be played back on the provided software. It didn’t always record the location, we found, perhaps indicating the satellite may be tricky to reach in poor weather conditions (we tested it on a very rainy day). It also comes with a G-sensor to lock footage that it suspects may contain an accident, along with a clear red button to do this manually should you witness an accident up ahead.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

Driving tested this on a rainy day but quality of the image was very good and the footage in the dim light conditions was easily a match for the Nextbase 402-G. The night footage was arguably slightly crisper than the Nextbase, but the image overall was darker.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

Nearly five stars, the CDR 840 is attractive, has lots of features and shoots great, crisp video but it just falls short of the 402-G on the ability to deal with very dark night-time footage, and we’d have liked a long power cable. The free memory card is an incentive to buy, though, and should an insurer offer a discount similar to that of the Nextbase models, choosing between the two would be tough. Definitely worth a look.

Quick and simple to attach and detach using the sucker mount, and the ball joint means angle adjustment is amongst the easiest we’ve tested. Its tiny size means finding a discreet location on the windscreen is no problem.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

Starts recording straight away and navigating the menus is intuitive, navigable via the four buttons running along the underside of the screen.

Functions ★★★★★

The Garmin Dash Cam 20 is small in size but packed with all the essential features: a G-sensor to detect accidents and auto-protect related footage, as well as the ability to manually protect footage, GPS to record speed and position (this info is recorded on the footage by default). As with most other dashcams, you can take stills photos after an accident, should you want to record it for insurance purposes, but most drivers would do this on their smartphones, we imagine.

There’s no WiFi capability but we’re dubious as to the value of such a thing. Instead, Garmin has added something much more useful for drivers: speed camera alerts. It’s not available in all locations, the database needs to be updated regularly via a home computer and the annual subscription for UK & Ireland costs £16.99, but we imagine many drivers will appreciate such a feature.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

As with the Garmin nüviCam, picture quality is 1080p HD and performs well in daylight and at night, but the final recording seems a fraction more compressed than the best performers in this regard. In addition, the contrast seems to be higher than average. That doesn’t stop the footage from being very decent. The field of vision is hampered by a 90-degree viewing angle, which is the second-narrowest of all dashcams on this page (jointly with the nüviCam). Audio is quite muffled and hissy, but acceptable.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

A no-nonsense product that’s easy to set up and live with, features a G-sensor and GPS and records high quality audio and video. It beats other similar devices thanks to the speed camera alerts, but the narrow field of vision does let it down somewhat.

There were a number of fiddly steps to setting up the Kaiser Baas R20 dashcam. If you’ve read any of our other dashcam reviews you’ll know that we’re not fans of adhesive mounts, as they’re a visual clue to would-be thieves that something worth stealing may be in your glovebox. Sucker mounts are our preferred choice. All Kaiser Baas models sent to us came with the adhesive attachments. Second, the clip for the unit must be attached like a photo camera to a tripod clip, before it can then be slid on to the mount – unnecessarily complicated.

In addition, the power cable connects to the unit not via a mini or micro usb connector, as with most other dashcams — a unique DC plug connection is required, so losing your cable would mean you need to call Kaiser Baas for a replacement.

We also had to set the time and date before initial use – it doesn’t do it via satellite – and there’s no memory card in the box.

Any good news? The power cable is long, GPS is built in (no additional aerials are required) and the 12V plug for the power cable has two USB sockets, so you can power the dashcam and have a socket free to charge your phone.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

Once up and running, it records as soon as it receives power and navigating the menus via the 2.7in screen is simple, using the four buttons running either side of the screen. The screen times out automatically, to comply with the law. Manually recording an incident requires you to press OK and then OK again – it’s not especially clear.

Functions ★★★★☆

All the requisite features are here: a G-sensor to detect accidents and lock the related footage (it definitely works – just tilt the device to start an “event” recording), GPS to record speed and position, which is shown on the recordings by default. There’s no WiFi capability here but that’s not much use anyway. It does, however, display on the screensaver either the time or a compass with your direction of travel, which could prove useful to some. The computerised voice alerts (“Normal recording starts”, etc.) are a bit tiresome after a while, but can be switched off in the menu. Speed and location are not recorded on the footage: you need to install the supplied software to see that information.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

The Kaiser Baas R20 records in 1296p but the default setting is 1080p. We’re not sure why that’s the case but it meant that we recorded our footage without realising we weren’t set to optimum resolution. The 1080p footage we captured was clear in daylight but struggled with both clarity and vibration (numberplates event on parked cars were blurred).

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

Relatively powerful but not one of our favourite dashcams to look at, install or operate, and its footage (in 1080p mode, at least) is average, especially in low light. Overall, too many irritations meant we didn’t warm to the Kaiser Baas R20.

A nice compact design thanks to its touchscreen, so there are no buttons around the edge adding extra width/height. It comes with a suction mount so it can be added and removed easily when you park up and want to conceal it or take it with you. A single cable plugs into the 12V socket – nice and simple. It doesn’t come with a memory card, though, so loses a star.

Ease of use ★★★★★

The touchscreen interface is excellent, with a very clear and nicely designed operating system. There are quite a few useful features on the MiVue 658 WiFi, so this is especially welcome. In addition, the screen is set to time out by default, which complies with the law without the user needing to change the settings.

Functions ★★★★★

In addition to the GPS, G-sensor, large screen and 150° wide-angle lens, there’s also a Parking Mode with motion sensor, which is designed to capture any dings to the front of your car while you’re parked. However, this requires an adaptor to ensure power is supplied from the car’s battery at all times (usually it cuts out power to the 12V socket shortly after you lock up), and we prefer to hide or remove the camera to deter thieves. Also, there’s WiFi mode that allows playback, backup and sharing via a smartphone, but this is also fluff, in our opinion.

Really useful features include the speed camera recognition with a large, clear speed readout on the touchscreen, which is marginally more trustworthy than our car’s speedometer, we found, thanks to the GPS. In our video below, the daytime footage was recorded when the unit couldn’t find a satellite, however, so no speed or location is displayed. This occasionally happens with GPS devices when you switch them on in an underground car park, as we did – something to watch out for. When it works (most of the time), it’s an excellent feature.

Video/audio quality ★★★★★

Mio says its range of cameras come with technology used in GoPro action cams, so the quality is just as good. We were certainly impressed with the clarity, in daylight and at night, although numberplates are washed out in low light conditions. The level of detail is aided by the better-than-full-HD 2304 x 1296 pixel resolution, recording at 30 frames per second – tremendous stuff, although on our overcast filming day it was a little dim compared to some other devices. The 150-degree viewing angle is one of the widest on test, so action to each side is captured, too.

VERDICT ★★★★★

One of the best dashcams that we’ve tested, with great video and smart features, such as speed camera recognition and a superb touchscreen interface. The WiFi and Parking Mode features are less useful but it’s quick to set up, small, attractive and very user friendly, so even though there’s no SD card in the box, the MiVue 658 WiFi gets a well-deserved five stars and a Top Tech award.

This model comes with an adhesive mount, so make sure you place it correctly first time (we prefer the flexibility of a suction mount). The SVC1080 itself can be unclipped when you leave the car to deter would-be thieves. It comes with a 4Gb memory card as standard but a larger one can be specified.

Ease of use ★☆☆☆☆

The buttons on the SVC1080 are a little small and fiddly but the menu is simple enough to navigate. A big frustration was that video footage can only be reviewed using the SmartWitness software. The company told us that this is because it is the only way to view the real-time mapping information stored on the files but it does make it a more laborious way to review footage than is necessary; as the map co-ordinates are visible on the footage it seems an unnecessary complication.

In addition, the footage playback using the software was jerky; only by exporting the file (minus the location info) from the SmartWitness software and watching it with our usual video players (VLC or QuickTime) did it play smoothly.

Functions ★★★☆☆

The SVC1080 can track your location and speed thanks to inbuilt GPS, but as you’ll see above, the information doesn’t play back very smoothly in the SmartWitness software. Recordings can be password-protected and the manufacturer says it is 3G, 4G, Wifi, WiMax and Bluetooth ready.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

Video quality is clear and smooth, and the viewing angle (170-degree, or pillar-to-pillar) is excellent. However, night-time footage is grainier than the best here. Audi recording is optional – it wasn’t captured by default on our test device.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

The best part of £200 is a lot to spend on a camera that only comes with a 4Gb memory card, doesn’t outperform others in video quality and forces you to use the supplied software for playback. The extra-wide viewing angle is useful, though.

Words: Will Dron

High-end forward-facing dashcams

The Crash Cam Pro is small, light and easy to attach to the windscreen. The adhesive pad (rather than a sucker mount) was a little annoying, although it is possible to pull the camera off the windscreen and restick it a couple of times without too much of a problem. The long power cable plugs into the 12V power socket (cigarette lighter)and can be fixed, using additional clips, around the top of the windscreen, down the A-pillar, into the footwell and under the carpet, which keeps it neatly out of the way. However there’s no screen so you’ll not be able to set up the frame as accurately as other devices.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

There’s one button, which is used to lock an event recording. Simple. However, the software provided, while quite smart in that it played back the footage with realtime speed and location information, kept freezing on our brand new Windows 7 laptop. It’s so irritating you’ll not want to bother with it.

Functions ★★★★☆

Includes GPS for logging your speed and location, a G-sensor for automatic accident detection, and support for a second camera.

Video/audio quality ★☆☆☆☆

According to the Crash Cam website and accompanying press notes the Pro plays video in HD, but we found the video had actually recorded in 640×480 resolution. That, for non-videophiles, is most definitely not HD – it’s woeful compared with all other cameras we tested (Vision Techniques has promised to correct the misleading online description). What’s more, it was pixelated, stuttery thanks to a low frame rate and didn’t perform well in low light conditions. In addition, the audio was extremely muffled – voices within the car were audible but the speech difficult to make out. Very poor, especially at this price.

VERDICT ★★☆☆☆
Easy to use and plenty of functions but it doesn’t include a screen and the video quality, at this price, seems like an insult.

One of the smaller devices, this attaches quickly and easily to the windscreen via a suction mount. The power cable is a decent length, allowing you to tuck it away down the A-pillar and under the carpet in the footwell.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

It’s simple to start recording your trips and there are only two buttons on the device itself, making it quite easy to control, but this is easily the most complex dash cam if you want to use all its functions. See below.

Functions ★★★★☆

It may be small but the CDR 900 dash cam is perhaps the most technically advanced dash cam in our line-up. There’s no in-built GPS (it can be plugged in if required), but the 160 degree lens is one of the widest we tested, while the stand out feature is the ability to connect it to a wireless network. You can do this either locally – to your phone for video streaming, playback and immediate sharing – or via “the cloud” – to your home/office wireless router so that you can watch the footage via an app on your phone from anywhere in the world. Combined with a motion sensor it could be used for home surveillance, for example. But while this is a gadget-lover’s dream, we question the usefulness for drivers.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

A good frame rate ensure the footage is smooth, and the footage can be recorded in Super HD (1296p), but in fact we found the image to be not a sharp as either the Nextbase 402G or Cobra CDR 840. Meanwhile, the microhone seemed overly sensitive resulting in booming audio.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

Very smart and should appeal to gadget lovers, but without GPS and top notch video footage, this isn’t our favourite dash cam. Especially at this price.

The Roadhawk HD’s slim profile allows the device to be discreetly tucked behind the rear-view mirror so your vision remains unimpeded, although the mount is adhesive rather than suction so hard to remove once attached. The external GPS connector is unnecessarily fiddly; other devices have this built into the unit. An 8Gb memory card is included in the box.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

The lack of a screen makes it difficult to frame video and change settings – this has to be done while connected to a computer. The software included also displays video with the mapping/location information but isn’t required for a quick review of the footage.

There are virtually no buttons to play with on the unit itself… but that’s the idea; Roadhawk, more than any other manufacturer, doesn’t want drivers to be distracted by its products.

Functions ★★★☆☆

Its industrial appearance conceals a hi-tech device with 1080p recording, a GPS connection checked six times a second for accurate location information and a high-quality lens with image stabilisation and a G-sensor are included.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

Really excellent high-definition video quality but there’s more glare in low-light when compared with the Nextbase 402-G. Also, the viewing angle isn’t as wide as others we tested. The audio is clear, if a little tinny.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

Hi-tech, with excellent video quality, but there’s no screen and the price is high for a product that isn’t quite as good as the best on test.

We were really disappointed with how tricky it was to mount the nüviCam on the windscreen. For a start, it’s huge – the six-inch screen (five- and seven-inch versions are available) proved quite unwieldy and finding a spot in which our view of the road was not obscured beyond what is acceptable – and required by law (see Dashcam Q&A, above) – was quite a job.

Although power is fed to the screen via the sucker mount, and the two connect neatly and cleanly via magnets, we had to re-adjust the positions several times before we got it right. A spot on the right-hand side of the screen provided the best view of the road (and the Garmin will ask whether it’s being placed on the left, right or centre of the windscreen) but as you can’t move the mount without unclipping the screen, it was only through trial and error that we were able to find the position that kept the bulky unit as far to the right as possible without touching the A-pillar.

In addition, the GPS requires an additional cable to be stuck to the windscreen, which is unsightly and adds time to the installation.

If you were to exit the car leaving everything but the screen behind all the hassle is fine, as you only do it once, but with all that mounted to our windscreen we felt that we were inviting thieves to break in, so we removed it all each time and then had to attach it again on return to the car.

All in all, it was a right pain. At least there’s a 4Gb memory card in the box.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

Once fired up, we were given a view from the camera and asked to adjust its position. You’re able to make further angle adjustments left and right via the lens itself. Once sorted, recording started and we were presented with a version of Garmin’s standard sat nav operating system, which is fairly easy to navigate. The first time we used it, however, the sat nav could not find a satellite and so no speed of location was recorded (reflected in the daytime video below).

Almost all settings are controlled via the touchscreen interface, although you can lock footage via a button on the top of the screen and there’s a power button on the back. All fairly simple to get to grips with, given its many functions.

There is Garmin Dashcam Player software for Mac and PC to enable location and speed overlays with the video but these can be recorded on the footage itself and files can be reviewed on your computer using your usual video player with ease.

Functions ★★★★★★

This device requires an extra sixth star as it goes way beyond the others we’ve tested here in terms of what it can do. As well as the dashcam there’s a full Garmin sat nav, which is clearly displayed on the aforementioned huge screen and includes such features as “photoReal Junction View”, voice-activated navigation and Bluetooth hands-free calling.

Of course, there’s GPS and a motion sensor to display speed and position, and sudden deceleration or accidents can be detected and the related footage is locked automatically. The sat nav and camera in combination allow clever additional features generally only found built into high specification new cars, such as Forward Collision Warning (an alert sounds if it thinks you’re about to hit something ahead on the road), Lane Departure Warning and Garmin Real Vision, which overlays navigation instructions onto the camera view to help indicate, for example, the exact house you’re looking for on a street.

A professionally-installed second camera can also be fitted to the rear of the car and connected wirelessly, converting the Garmin into a reversing camera, too. We didn’t try it, but back-up cameras can be useful tools. Of course, there additional cost for the device and installation.

One function we didn’t find much use for was Foursquare, the app that allows you to virtually “check in” at locations such as restaurants, hotels, museums and so on, and then share that information with friends. Foursquare was an interesting curiosity when launched but it hasn’t really taken off on mobile phones, so its usefulness here is open to debate.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

The quality of the footage is excellent – the lens performs very well in both day and night conditions – the footage seems to be more compressed than on our benchmarks for video quality, the Nextbase 402G and Cobra CDR820, meaning slightly more pixelation. Also, a 90-degree viewing angle is one of the narrowest we’ve tested. However, there’s no judder and overall, clarity is up at the highest end of devices. Audio is crisp and clear.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

Combining a dashcam with satellite navigation is a brilliant idea, and Garmin has done a great job in bringing it to life. Kudos also goes to the manufacturer for utilising the tech to add smart features such as collision warnings, too – with all these features, the nüviCam actually represents good value despite costing nearly £300. If you’re a gadget fan looking for a dashcam and also need a sat nav (or want to upgrade from an older one) then the nüviCam is definitely worth a look.

Be warned, though: in our view Garmin has gone overboard on the screen size – it just takes up too much room on the windscreen – while fitting/removal proved frustrating, too.

It attaches to your existing rear view mirror – a smart idea that makes it extremely discreet – but the spring-loaded clamps are hard to prise apart and then hook on, so it’s a little cumbersome. However, as with the Crash Cam Pro and Nextbase 402-G, the long power cable can be run around the top of the windscreen, down the A-pillar and under the carpet, keeping it relatively hidden and out of the way. Also be aware: there’s no memory card in the box so you will need to purchase your own.

Ease of use ★★★☆☆

Working out how to navigate the menu took a little more getting used to than some other devices, as there’s no obvious select/back button, and switching between menu tabs involves holding down the menu button. It also isn’t clear how to lock a video file in the event of an accident.

Functions ★★☆☆☆

There’s no G-sensor in the Crash Catcher CC3 – the only dash cam on test not to have one (they monitor g-forces and lock video files in the event of a suspected accident). There’s also no GPS, so speed and location are not recorded, and no motion detector. Instead, for your money you get two cameras, which can be set to face forward and backwards. According to a spokesperson, this has made it popular with taxi drivers, who wish to record what is going on inside the cab as much as outside. The screen is mounted behind the mirrored glass and switches off after a minute or two, making the CC3 even more discreet.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

The two cameras record in 960 x 720 pixels then save the footage side-by-side in a 1920 x 720 composite. While this is decent quality, it only record in 20 frames per second so it is a little jerky. The footage captured at night was not bad, if a little fuzzy compared with the best we had on test.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

A bit left field and not the most high tech dash cam here, but the rear facing camera is smart, as is the mirrored screen and discreet packaging.

In the box you’ll find the dashcam, a generous 32GB memory card (a great incentive that gets you up-and-running straight away), the power adapter with a nice long cable and the windscreen mount, which attaches via adhesive foam. There really is no need for adhesives: a suction mount works perfectly well and is much easer to remove, leaving no evidence of technology being in the car for potential thieves to see. Transcend sells separate suction mounts and may offer the 520 with one in the box; we recommend it. The first time you fire it up you’ll need to go through setting the time, date and date format, which is slightly dull. The good news is that there’s no extra cable for the GPS to work and the design is pleasingly compact.

Ease of use ★★★★☆

Transcends menus are easy to navigate, with four buttons below the 2.4in screen, and the emergency record button is red, so clear to see, and positioned on the underside. After you’ve set the time and date, all you need to do is add power to start recording. The rear-facing camera is easy to adjust as it swivels independently of the main unit.

Functions ★★★☆☆

The DrivePro 520 is what you could call fully loaded: the second lens; alarge, clear screen; GPS; Infrared LED for night vision; WiFi connectivity for watching live video footage and playback on mobile devices; G-sensor. It’s a pity, then, that this is another Transcend with a G-sensor that is far too sensitive. Out of the box, it was set to the lowest sensitivity and yet the 520 thought that every minor bump in the road was a major collision, and locked the majority of the files as emergency recordings. You’ll end up turning off the G-sensor (as a spokesperson advised when we encountered the same problem on another device) removing the whole point of having a dashcam.

Video/audio quality ★★★☆☆

Front and rear camera footage is recorded in separate files – forward-facing footage is shown with an “A” at the end of the file name, rear-facing gets “B”. Video quality from the 1080p front camera is exceptional in daylight – possibly the clearest we’ve seen – but at night it is grainy and a conspicuous juddered is apparent; it’s decent enough, but not the best by a long way. The rear-facing camera is a wide-angle (110-degree) lens, unlike the Nextbase Duo, which has a 50m zoom lens facing backwards (see below). The advantage of the wide angle lens is that it records events inside the cabin as well as through the rear window. The disadvantage is that numberplates are less visible. Footage from the 720p rear camera is clear during the day but at night it doesn’t pick up much at all. Audi is clear and crisp.

VERDICT ★★★☆☆

The Transcend 520 records very high quality daytime footage front and rear, and being able to record inside the cabin may be useful to private hire drivers, but at night the footage is poor. What’s more, the overly-sensitive G-sensor is a major design flaw that means we cannot recommend this dashcam.

The Duo’s cameras are at each end of the unit so you’ll need to position the camera fairly centrally on the windscreen. This is made easy thanks to the twist-grip suction mount, but the adjustment of the cameras takes just a few seconds longer than a single-lens dashcam to make sure you’ve got the framing correct. GPS is provided via a small square piece of plastic above the suction mount, but it doesn’t get in the way – it’s infinitely preferable to an extra wire, as you find on some sat navs. Plugging in gets you up and running straight away, provided you’ve bought a micro SD card (there isn’t one in the box, unfortunately). The cameras both twist 180-degrees so you can point he screen slightly towards you if you prefer. The screen doesn’t switch off automatically by default – you’ll need to change this in the settings to comply with the law (see top of page).

Ease of use ★★★★☆

There’s a button on the top, one on the bottom and one on the top, with three buttons either side of the screen for navigating the menu and locking footage if you witness an accident. All very straight forward.

Functions ★★★★★

With GPS, a G-sensor and the two cameras, this is a sophisticated bit of kit and works well. It eschews such fripperies as WiFi and app connectivity – Nextbase says its customer research revealed buyers weren’t interested in such things, and we’d have to agree. Being able to view footage remotely on mobile devices is mere garnish. The rear view camera is unique in its 50m zoom function – what goes on inside the cabin isn’t captured, instead Nextbase has focused on showing events through the rear window, which is useful if you want to capture licence plates or the face of the driver in the car behind.

Video/audio quality ★★★★☆

Both cameras record in 720p quality although, as with the Crash Catcher CC3 above, the footage is knitted together side-by-side into a single video (in this case, at 1920×800 pixels). This is useful but overall quality from each camera is compromised somewhat when compared with a single lens camera. Still, it’s decent enough in the daytime and the performance in low light is definitely above par. We found the rear camera to be marginally less grainy than the front camera, but the front lens has a usefully wide 140-degree field of vision. Audio is clear and crisp.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

Nextbase’s unique 50m zoom lens will be attractive to those that don’t want to capture themselves in the car but would like to show events through the rear window. Video quality is decent from both cameras and it’s easy to set up. We do wish it came with a memory card, and it is more expensive that the Transcend and Crash Catcher dual lens dashcams, but then you get what you pay for.

Words: Will Dron

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